The 24th New Directions in Turkish Film Studies (TFAYY) Conference was held at Kadir Has University.

The 24th New Directions in Turkish Film Studies (TFAYY) Conference was hosted by Kadir Has University Department of Radio, Television and Cinema with the theme “Cinema and Family” between 08-10 May 2025. The conference was held for three days with academic presentations and activities that addressed the representations of the family phenomenon in Turkish cinema from a multidimensional perspective.

Within the framework of this year’s theme; alternative family forms established beyond blood ties, the effects of labor on the family in the neoliberal era, the reflections of power and property relations within the family, family narratives shaped by forms of remembrance, and how gender roles are reproduced within the family were discussed in different sessions. The papers and video-essays presented in eight academic sessions provided the basis for an in-depth and critical discussion on the concept of family in cinema.

The main speakers of the conference were Prof. Dr. Umut Tümay Arslan (Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University) and Bülent Somay (Academician, Writer), who are known for their works that shed light on the function of cinema as a social and cultural mirror by bringing together the disciplines of cinema, philosophy and sociology.

In the closing session of the conference, the research project that inspired this year’s theme, “Family Fictions in Contemporary Turkish Cinema: Conflicts, Roles, Compromises” was presented. Dr. Lecturer from KHAS Department of Radio, Television and Cinema. Prof. Dr. Defne Tüzün from KHAS Department of Radio, Television and Cinema was supported by TUBITAK under the project code 122K887. We would like to take this opportunity to thank TUBITAK for their support to the project.

TFAYY 24 brought together academics, researchers and industry figures working in the field of cinema, allowing the concept of family in cinema studies to be discussed again and creating an important information sharing environment.