‘Films about Conscience’ project aims to expose the different colours of conscience via short films produced by both amateurs and professionals.

The project hosts 226 short films, more than 5,000 members and thousands of visitors every year since 2010 through the website and invites everyone who can get hold of a camera to shoot a short film for 5 minutes at most, with the motto of “Let’s take a look through our conscience”.

In 2012, 17 films of the second term of the project selected by Arsinée Khanjian, Cüneyt Cebenoyan, Ferzan Özpetek, Hale Soygazi, Nadje Al-Ali and Rakel Dink were put together in a DVD. They were screened at International Istanbul Film Festival, İzmir International Film Festival as well the Crime and Punishment Film Festival; Gaziantep Onat Kutlar, Adana Golden Boll and Teen International Shorts Festival (TISFEST), in Ankara as part of the commemoration of September 12th, in Paris Péniche Anako with a special screening and Yerevan International Film Festival. Besides, directors of the most rated top 3 films by the jury, were rewarded with International Istanbul Film Festival’s free pass card with the support of IKSV (Istanbul Foundation for Culture & Arts).

The project also hosted an event after the International Istanbul Film Festival, in cooperation with IKSV in 2012. Films about Conscience was celebrated with wide participation and brought together directors, jury members and the guests of International Istanbul Film Festival at Cezayir Meeting Hall at an Happy Hour organized within the Festival.

From March 31st to November 1st, 2012, a total of 57 conscience-themed short films were uploaded on website by producers/ movie-makers from Turkey and abroad. Again between these dates, thousands of people from all over the world watched the uploaded films and most of them rated, commented and shared these films. The international jury, comprising of Alin Taşçıyan, Arzu Başaran, Eric Bogosian, Hülya Uçansu, Marco Bechis, Rakel Dink, Reha Erdem and Robin Kirk evaluated the films as well. The selected top 20 films according to the votes of the international jury have been announced on the project website and social media on December 10th, 2012-Human Rights Day. The results were shared with the print and broadcast media as well.

Top 22 films which put nationalism in education, militarism, hetero-sexism, conscience and many others under their lens are listed below. As a result of an additional evaluation apart from the public rating, Şükriye Arslan who directed “Belleksiz”was awarded with a scholarship. The selected films will be collected in a DVD and meet viewers in various festivals.

You can reach the DVDs of Films About Conscience at Hrant Dink Foundation.