FAST FORWARD 2025 / Projections:
13/12/2025 / 20h45 / Montenegrin Cinematheque / Podgorica
Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay / Germany / 2025 / 104’
Director: Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay
Screenplay: Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay
Main Cast: Devrim Lingnau, Aziz Çapkurt, Serkan Kaya, Nicolette Krebitz, Nazmi Kırık, Mehdi Meskar
Producers: Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay, Claus Herzog-Reichel
Director of Photography: Christian Kochmann
Editing: Denys Darahan, Andreas Menn
Music: Marvin Miller
Production Design: Mayte Hellenthal
Sound: Steffen Pfauth
Production: Filmfaust Filmproduktion & ZDF
Country: Germany
Year: 2025
Runtime: 104’
SYNOPSIS
When a copy of the Qur’an is burned for the purposes of shooting a film scene, a multi-ethnic film crew spirals into internal conflict. What at first seems like an ordinary, harmless situation on set triggers a chain reaction of suspicion, stereotypes, mistrust and accusations among the crew members. Caught in the crossfire, assistant director Elif is drawn into a dangerous game of secrets and lies and finds herself at the centre of a conspiracy. This tense thriller, with a powerful and unexpected twist, casts a sharp light on the power of images and the dynamics of perception, projection and social hysteria.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay was born on 25 May 1987 in Bad Hersfeld, Germany, and grew up in the city of Hagen. He studied media arts in Cologne. During his studies, in 2011, he received a scholarship from the Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes (German Academic Scholarship Foundation). His first feature film, Oray (2019), was made as his graduation project. Thematically, his films often explore questions of migration, identity and religion, particularly the experiences of Muslims in Western societies. Through his work, he aims to portray everyday life from the perspective of the diaspora, avoiding stereotypes and sensationalism, and instead highlighting the complexity, humanity and diversity of Muslim and migrant experiences in contemporary Europe.
FESTIVALS AND AWARDS
- Berlinale – Panorama, 2025 – Europa Cinemas Label: Best European Film (winner)
- Film Festival Cologne, 2025 – NRW Film Award (winner)
- Hessischer Film- und Kinopreis, 2025 – Special Jury Award (ensemble)
- Berlinale – Panorama, 2025 – world premiere
- Istanbul Film Festival (IKSV), 2025
- Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF), 2025
- New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF), 2025
- Edinburgh International Film Festival, 2025
- Helsinki International Film Festival – Love & Anarchy, 2025
- Athens International Film Festival – Opening Nights, 2025