Toronto Yunus Emre Enstitüsü continues its activities to promote Turkey's cultural richness by participating in international organizations held in Canada.
Cultural elements of Turkish culture such as cinema, music and gastronomy were brought together in the Lavazza Inclucity program, where international films were brought to the big screen as part of the Italian Contemporary Film Festival (ICFF) with the support of the Toronto Yunus Emre Institute. Aiming to reflect the multicultural nature of Canada, the program was almost like a Turkish night.

The festival, which was held on July 18, 2023 and where the richness of Turkish culture was revealed, started with Burak Ekmekçi Quartet, founded by Baglama Artist Burak Ekmekçi living in Toronto, performing a special selection of the music of famous Turkish films, ranging from "Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalım" to "Hababam Class".

The mini-concert, which attracted great interest from the audience, ended with the song "Under the Stars", which has become a classic among the soundtracks of Bandırma Füze Kulübü (Bandırma Missile Club) film.

ICFF Director General Cristiano De Florentiis, who made the protocol speech at the opening program, expressed his satisfaction for the cooperation that started during the epidemic period and the interest shown to this night.

Turkish Consul General in Toronto, Sinem Mingan wished that this beautiful and fruitful cooperation with ICFF would continue and emphasized the importance of the support that Toronto Yunus Emre Enstitüsü has given to this program from the very beginning.

TICKETS WERE SOLD OUT DAYS AHEAD

In his speeche, Toronto Yunus Emre Institute Coordinator Bülent Üçpunar stated that the Institute, which started its activities in Canada a short time ago, will expand the range of activities that will extend to different fields of culture and arts, including film screenings.

Coordinator Üçpunar stated that the event, whose tickets were sold out days ago before the event, encouraged them to organize an independent week of Turkish films.

After the concert program and the protocol speeches, the Turkish movie “Bandırma Füze Kulübü” was presented to cinema lovers.

In the event, where the audience had the opportunity to get to know Turkish culture with its different aspects, special tastes from Turkish cuisine were also served.

BANDIRMA FÜZE KULÜBÜ FILM 

Bandırma Füze Kulübü or "Bandırma Missile Club," directed by Ömer Faruk Sorak in 2022, is a co-production of TRT, produced by Digital Arts, and stars Alina Boz, Deniz Can Aktaş, and Erkan Kolçak Köstendil. The film portrays the dreams of a group of high school teenagers and their friends, who set out to establish the Bandırma Missile Club in Bandırma and launch a rocket into space during a time when the world's curiosity about space exploration is at its peak. The film poignantly portrays the challenges faced in such ventures, particularly in a country that has recently made significant strides in the defense industry, using the universal language of cinema.