A Tribute to Two Master Names of Cinema: Honorary Awards at the 33rd Adana Golden Boll Belong to Ferzan Özpetek and Vahide Perçin!

One of Türkiye’s most established and prestigious cinema events, the International Adana Golden Boll Film Festival is preparing to meet movie lovers for the 33rd time this year. The recipients of the highly anticipated Honorary Awards of the festival, which will take place between September 26 and October 4, 2026, hosted by the Adana Metropolitan Municipality, have been announced. The Festival Executive Committee announced that this year the awards will be presented to two master names who offer unique aesthetic contributions to human psychology, social identities, and cultural bridges: director and writer Ferzan Özpetek and veteran actor Vahide Perçin.

Bringing a brand-new and sincere breath to the cinema world with his film “Hamam”, where he sat in the director’s chair in 1997, Ferzan Özpetek has managed to subtly blend Eastern and Western cultures throughout his career. Addressing human relationships, the sense of belonging, and emotional depths in a universal language, the master director earned praise at prestigious festivals such as Cannes, Venice, and Berlin with unforgettable films such as “Harem Suare”, “Cahil Periler”, “Karşı Pencere”, “Serseri Mayınlar”, and “Şans Tanrıçası”. Özpetek, for whose films a special retrospective screening was organized by the New York Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in 2008, also continues to leave deep traces in the literary world with his novels “İstanbul Kırmızısı” and “Bir Nefes Gibi”. This sincere, original, and universal language of Özpetek in cinema makes him one of the rightful guests of honor at Golden Boll this year.

Vahide Perçin, who adds extraordinary psychological depth and masterful simplicity to every character she portrays in her career extending from theater stages to cinema screens and television screens, is the festival’s other guest of honor. For Perçin, in whose artistic history the stages of Adana State Theatre also hold a very important place, this award also serves as a meaningful return to the city. The artist, who won the Best Actress award at the 14th Adana Golden Boll Film Festival in 2007 for her performance in the film “İlk Aşk”; in addition to her unforgettable acting in feature films such as “Devrim Arabaları”, “Zefir”, and “Kapı”, has always kept her professional responsibility at the highest level by bringing young talents into the industry through 35 Buçuk Academy and serving as the President of the Actors’ Union.

The Honorary Awards will be presented to these two giant names of the silver screen and stages at a very special night to be held during the festival week. Bringing the magic of cinema to the city in the autumn heat of Adana, the festival’s calendar has already taken shape. Applications for filmmakers wishing to share in the competition excitement will continue until Monday, August 17, 2026. The celebration will begin with a grand opening ceremony to be held on Saturday, September 26, and with the Grand Award Ceremony to be held on Saturday night, October 3, both the Golden Boll statues and the Honorary Awards will find their owners.