WELCOME TO THE 7th BOSTON TURKISH FILM & MUSIC FESTIVAL!



We are proud to continue the tradition of presenting high caliber films and concerts to you and we hope that you would also continue to be a part of this cultural tradition in Boston.

The events of the 7th Annual Boston Turkish Film and Music Festival will take place between March 27th - May 11th, 2008 at the Museum of Fine Arts-Boston, Boston University, Massachusetts College of Art, Northeastern University, and Wimberly Theatre. 

The festival will open with the North America Premiere of internationally acclaimed director Fatih Akin's "The Edge of Heaven" on March 27th, and will close with the Concert, "Sounds of Anatolia", on May 11th.

Director Reha Erdem will be present during the screening of his film, "Times and Winds". On April 6th, the second "Boston Turkish Film Festival Award for Excellence in Turkish Cinema" will be presented to filmmaker Reha Erdem for his contributions to Turkish Cinema.

There will be fifteen films in the festival program, including the North America premieres of Ferzan Özpetek's "Saturn in Opposition - Bir Ömür Yetmez", Tayfun Pirselimoglu's "Riza", Dervis Zaim's "Waiting for Heaven - Cenneti Beklerken", Baris Pirhasan's "Adam and the Devil - Adem'in Trenleri", Turgut Yasalar's "Fog and the Night - Sis ve Gece". Official submission of Turkey for the 80th Academy Awards, "A Man's Fear of God - Takva" of Özer Kiziltan will also be screened at the Festival.


Kanun master Tahir Aydogdu will be accompanied by master musicians, such as oud virtuoso Ara Dinkjian, acclaimed clarinet player Ismail Lumanovski, and percussionist Seido Salifoski. They will be performing on April 13th at the concert, Nostalgia, on April 13th at the Raytheon Amphitheater, Northeastern University. Guitar masters Bilgehan Tuncer and Jon Damian will perform on April 20th at Tower Auditorium of the Massachusetts College of Art.

Alongside the films, this year for the first time, we have a partnership with the Huntington Theatre Company for the World Premiere of The Cry of The Reed by the Turkish Playwright: Sinan Ünel. The Play will be staged at Wimberly Theatre from March 28 thru May 3. History, religion, and the beauty of the whirling dervishes collide in this powerful, ripped -from-the headlines portrait of a world at war. Internationally renowned actress Çigdem Onat also plays in The Cry of the Reed. 

As our pre-festival event, Turkish actress and Artist-in-Residence at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Serra Yilmaz, explores heartbreaking and hilarious episodes of the human experience in a series of performances throughout the Museum from March 13 through 19.

Another first in the Festival is our culinary presentation, Foods of Anatolia, with the partnership of Boston University's Food and Wine Program. Acclaimed Chef Özcan Ozan will introduce samples and techniques of Turkish cuisine to children on April 23th as we celebrate the Children's Day. 


Organizing a festival undoubtedly is a collaborative effort of many individuals and organizations. With this opportunity, I would like to thank our supporters, board members and co-presenters as well as individual, corporate and organizational sponsors whose commitment and collaboration made this festival possible. 


Enjoy the Festival!

Erkut Gömülü
Director and Founder