Country-study
Turkey. Secret to keeping the audience engaged
august 26 / 15:15 – 16:15
Tarkovsky Hall
"The best Turkdizi" is a phrase that any viewer has typed into a search engine at least once when choosing a series for the evening, and (almost) every woman dreams of Serkan Bolat. Juggling genres, 140-minute episodes, vivid images, and "hot" emotions have made Turkey the second-largest exporter of series in the world.
How the film industry functions today, how they work with ratings and adjust scripts to meet viewers' demands, the search for new markets, and the peculiarities of selling and adapting content will be discussed in this session by representatives of Turkey's leading production companies.
How the film industry functions today, how they work with ratings and adjust scripts to meet viewers' demands, the search for new markets, and the peculiarities of selling and adapting content will be discussed in this session by representatives of Turkey's leading production companies.
Moderator:
- Mr Ivan GrininHead of content, Ivi.ruIvan Grinin joined the Ivi team in 2017 as Director of Strategy and Analytics. In March 2021, he was appointed Content Director and is now responsible for developing and implementing the content strategy for the online cinema. Before Ivi, he held the position of Deputy Director of the Transaction Support Department at the international consulting company KPMG. In 2009, he earned a master's degree in physics from Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov.
Speakers:
- Mr Fatih AksoyCEO, MedyapimFatih Aksoy, born in Şanlıurfa, Turkey, started his media career in 1988 and founded Medyapım in 1993. He gained recognition for producing hit shows during the early years of private television in Turkey, including the Turkish adaptation of “The Nanny” (Dadı) in 2000. Aksoy also successfully adapted international shows like “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” and “Popstar,” which broke Turkish television rating records.
Since 2010, he has focused on drama series, producing Turkish versions of “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Desperate Housewives,” as well as original series like “Forbidden Fruit.” Aksoy co-founded MF Yapım, No 9 Productions, and MADD Entertainment, all part of the Medyapım Group, which he leads. - Mr Ateş İnceManaging director, Madd EntertainmentAteş İnce is the Managing Director of MADD Entertainment, a joint venture between Ay Yapım and Medyapım. İnce launched the company in 2018, and today MADD is the world’s leading distributor of Turkish dramas. With over 400 hours of original programming each year from Türkiye’s top two producers, MADD Entertainment offers some of the strongest content of any supplier worldwide.
Prior to joining MADD, İnce served as Chief Revenue Officer of Doğuş Media Group and was the founder of Doğuş Digital. There, he created Türkiye’s leading OTT platform, puhutv, and spearheaded the first Turkish Super Series, Phi. With over 20 years of experience in entertainment, advertising, and content sales, İnce has a unique perspective on today’s rapidly evolving media landscape. - Mr Kerem CatayCEO, Ay YapımKerem Çatay, CEO of Ay Yapim, is a prominent Turkish producer. Born in Ankara, he graduated from Bilkent University with a degree in Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences and later completed his higher education in Film and Television at UCLA, Los Angeles.
Çatay began his career in 2004 with thematic TV productions and has since produced renowned series such as Ask-ı Memnu (Forbidden Love), Fatmagül’ün Suçu Ne (Fatmagul), Ezel, Kara Para Aşk (Black Money Love), Çukur (The Pit), and Yargı (Family Secrets). He has also produced films like Bi Küçük Eylül Meselesi (A Small September Affair) and Bizim İçin Şampiyon (Bold Pilot).
Notably, his production Kara Sevda (Endless Love) became the first Turkish series to win an International Emmy Award in 2017. Haluk Bilginer won the Best Actor award for Şahsiyet (Persona) in 2019, and Yargı (Family Secrets) won the Best Telenovela award in 2023. His works have been broadcast in over 160 countries, including the Middle East, Balkans, Europe, and America. - Ms Anna TikhonovaProducer, LOOKFILMSAnna Tikhonova has been in the film industry since 2008 and with LOOKFILM Studio since 2018. She has produced over 29 films, including participants and winners of international festivals. Some of the studio's most notable projects include "Kidney," "My Mom's Penguins," and "Ordinary Woman."
LOOKFILM Studio was founded in 2010. The main focus of the company is the production of TV series and feature films, as well as international co-productions. - Mr Danila SharapovProducer, CEO, MediaslovoIn 2016, he co-founded the company Mediaslovo with Petr Anurov. He led the Directorate of Social and Political Broadcasting at Channel One and was the General Producer at NTV. He is the recipient of the "Lavrovaya Vetv" award (2013, film "War Protocols"), the national "STRANA" award (2013, film "War Protocols"), and the "APKiT" award (2018, film "Kim Philby. The Secret War"; 2021, series "Unprincipled").