The inaugural edition of the Cinematic Seeds Festival, organized by Arkin University of Creative Arts and Design (ARUCAD) as an international platform for student and emerging filmmakers worldwide, concluded on 26 February with an awards ceremony and closing event held on the University campus.
Directed by Dr. Emad Amlashi, faculty member of ARUCAD’s Faculty of Communication, the festival achieved strong international visibility in its very first year. Held between 23–26 February 2026, the Festival received more than 1,800 submissions from over 100 countries. Following a rigorous and multi-stage evaluation process, 151 short films were selected for the official program.
The festival program was structured into four main sections:
- Documentary (38 films)
- Experimental Films (32 films)
- Hybrid Narratives & Visual Essays (20 films)
- Short Fiction Films (61 films)
The official selection was presented across 10 screening sessions, offering a comprehensive panorama of contemporary student cinema and innovative visual storytelling practices.
International and Institutional Participation
The selected films represented leading film schools and universities worldwide, including ARUCAD, University of Hertfordshire, Dokuz Eylül University, VGIK (The Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography), Beijing Film Academy, Tehran University of Art, Istanbul University, Selçuk University, EMCACR (Spain), Hanyang University, FAAP, and ESCAC Films.
The highest number of submissions came from Turkey, Iran, China, Brazil, India, the United States, Russia, and the United Kingdom, further demonstrating the festival’s global reach and international impact in its inaugural year.
Award Winners
During the Closing Ceremony, winners were announced across four main categories, along with the Audience Choice Award:
- Best Documentary: Soil and Copper – Dir. Darya Artyushkova
- Best Experimental Film: Testimony of Disappointment – Dir. Magdalena Alicja Synoradzka
- Best Hybrid Narrative: Me and My City – Dir. Prabaha Mondal
- Best Short Fiction Film: Flashes – Dir. Dmitriy Lebedev
- Audience Choice Award: Baby – Dir. Valeriia Petrenko
Dr. Emad Amlashi: “Cinematic Seeds is a Global Starting Point for Young Filmmakers”
In his closing remarks, Festival Director Dr. Emad Amlashi stated:
“When we conceived Cinematic Seeds, our aim was not simply to organize a film festival, but to create a sustainable platform with a strong academic foundation that encourages creative dialogue and provides international visibility for young filmmakers. Receiving submissions from more than 100 countries in our first year demonstrates how significant this need is. At ARUCAD, we believe in the transformative power of cinema, and we are committed to expanding this platform each year, positioning it as an important part of the global creative network.”
With its strong academic framework, transparent evaluation process, and global participation, ARUCAD Cinematic Seeds Festival has established itself in its inaugural year as a promising new international platform for emerging filmmakers. ARUCAD will continue to support the development of new cinematic narratives and enhance the global visibility of creative production in the years ahead.