Q: Why does the catalog arrive late?
A: Our catalog's graphic design, printing, and transportation costs are sponsored by three different companies. Successful production of a catalog depends on a number of factors: program confirmation, collection of all relevant information, graphic design, printing and importing the catalog from Turkey. These sometimes take longer than expected, but we aim for timely delivery.

Q: Is it possible to purchase tickets in advance?
A: Yes. You can purchase your tickets in advance through our web site by using a credit card. If you prefer to purchase your tickets by check, you can call the information number on the printed materials and web site, make a reservation, and send your check by the deadline given to you over the telephone. Once the festival begins, we start selling the tickets at the box office.

Q: Will the films be screened in other cities/states?
A: We are in touch with other organizations in Houston, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, and Phoenix and offering them our assistance in planning, programming, and funding their own Turkish Film Festival. "Five Films by Zeki Demirkubuz" has already been wholly or partially screened in New York, Boston, Atlanta, Washington D.C., and Columbus. This series will continue to tour the United States in 2004.

Q: Why don't you include more short films in the program?
A: We are in the process of reaching out to short filmmakers in order to screen more short films in our festival.

Q: Why don't you use a rating system for the films screened in the festival?
A: Generally film festivals do not rate the films they include in their program. One common reason for this practice is that the festival audiences mostly consist of adults. However, we plan to include brief notes in our future catalogue and web pages to warn parents if we think the film is not suitable for children under a certain age.

Q: Why do you screen popular films like "Uzak/Distant" only once?
A: Independent filmmakers usually work with a limited number of copies. That means we cannot keep the copies for a prolonged period of time for the films that are popular in festival circuits. (For example, we had to ship "Uzak" to another film festival the day after our screening). Also, if there is a screening fee involved, a sold-out show barely covers the screening fee. We still have to cover other expenses for each screening. Therefore, each
additional screening contributes to our budget deficit. As we increase our sponsor base, we hope to be able to offer you multiple screenings.

Q: Why are many of the films screened in the festival depressing? Do you plan to include more popular/commercial films in your program in the future?
A: We try to include in our program a wide-range of films that represent Turkish cinema on an international level. Most of the artistically acclaimed Turkish films tend to focus on social and universal issues. In 2003, the total number of films produced in Turkey was under 30. As this number continues to increase, we will have a wider pool from which to choose our films.

Q: Why do you choose to use Anthology Film Archives as the festival's venue?
A: The goals of the Annual New York Turkish Film Festival are not only to offer Turkish
filmmakers the opportunity to present their work in the United States and expose American and Turkish-American audiences to Turkish cinema, but also to establish an understanding of Turkish Cinema on an international level. Anthology Film Archives is an established and well-respected institution whose programs are closely followed by the film world (other film centers, program directors, film critics, commercial distributors, etc.) throughout the United
States. (For more information on Anthology Film Archives please visit www.AnthologyFilmArchives.org)

Q: Why don't you move to a larger theater?
A: Higher cost of larger theaters is a major concern. As our ticket revenues and sponsor base increase, we will consider moving to a larger theater.

Q: Why don't you show trailers for every film?
A: The filmmakers provide the trailers for their films. Although we request trailers for each feature film in our program, it is the filmmakers' responsibility to provide them in a timely manner. This year we had fewer trailer submissions and had to choose those that technically qualified to be screened in the festival and that had English subtitles as requested.

If you have a different question, please fell free to contact us at cinema@moonandstarsproject.org