A Childhood Dream from Sarajevo to Antalya: Sis Gürdal’s “Porkatal” En Route to the Golden Orange
Fresh off winning the Special Jury Mention at the 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival—where it held its world premiere—Sis Gürdal’s short film Porkatal is preparing for its domestic premiere in Turkey. The Turkish-French co-production will mark its national debut in the National Short Film Competition at the 63rd International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, running from October 24 to 31, 2026.
The Transcendent Imagination of Six-Year-Old Engin
Written and directed by Sis Gürdal, the 16-minute short centers on the world of six-year-old Engin, who has lived in prison alongside his mother since birth. Forced to separate from her upon reaching the mandatory age limit, Engin is sent to a village to stay with relatives. As he struggles to adapt to a new existence bound by unfamiliar rules, he relies on his childlike imagination to seek a way back to his mother.
Honored by the international jury in Sarajevo as “a work that reveals the inner world of its character with striking naturalness through its poetic and nuanced atmosphere,” the film stars young actor Musab Yılmaz as Engin. The ensemble cast also features Naz Göktan, Nur Pera Abuç, Merdan Karataş, Tülay Akçakmak, İrfan Akçakmak, and Nazlı Benan Özkaya. Establishing its visual identity through the cinematography of Pablo Garrido Carreras, Porkatal features editing by Sercan Sezgin and Pablo Gómez-Pan, production design by Osman Özcan, and score and sound design by Mert Çetinkaya.
An Intergenerational and International Co-Production
Having completed her film studies at King’s College London, gaining recognition across the international festival circuit through the TIFF Filmmaker Lab and her previous shorts (Postcards From The Orient, End of Summer / Yazın Sonu), Sis Gürdal presents a collaborative production model with Porkatal while continuing development on her debut feature, Let Me Explain.
Produced by Sinan Yusufoğlu and Laure Dahout under the banners of Sî Films and Tiresias Film, the project was realized with support from the French National Centre for Cinema (CNC), SACEM, Ciclic Centre-Val de Loire, Ödemiş Municipality, and Izmir Metropolitan Municipality. With its layered storytelling and evocative visual atmosphere, the film stands out as one of the most compelling domestic titles on the autumn festival calendar.
