Women on Record is a one-year international project development program designed for emerging women documentary filmmakers from Turkey, co-organized by Anadolu Kültür and the Scottish Documentary Institute, and supported by the British Council. The program aims to respond to the political and economic constraints that many documentary filmmakers in Turkey face in terms of freedom of expression, production conditions, and distribution, by offering a sustainable model for mentorship, visibility, and international collaboration. Approaching documentary filmmaking as a channel of free expression, the program seeks to build long-term networks and strengthen solidarity between Turkey and the United Kingdom.

Six selected projects will be supported through three online and one in-person mentorship sessions (lasting two days), guided by experts from both Turkey and the UK. Participants will receive consultancy to finalize their project dossiers and will produce a mood video or teaser for their films—creating a powerful tool for funding and production opportunities. Additionally, three public events will be organized to complement the project development and mentorship process, focusing on alternative modes of production, distribution, and exhibition.

The need for a platform like the New Film Fund—run by Anadolu Kültür between 2015 and 2019, which positioned documentary cinema as a vital public medium by focusing on human rights, freedom of expression, cultural diversity, gender equality, and environmental justice—is now more visible than ever amid increasing censorship. We hope that the Women on Record program marks the beginning of a process toward reviving the New Film Fund, bringing a renewed breath of life to documentary cinema in Turkey.

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