Yunus Emre Institute & Iranian Youth Cinema Association | Tehran, Iran | May 2024
In Tehran, where I was invited through a collaboration between the Yunus Emre Institute and the Iranian Youth Cinema Society, we conducted a three-part program titled "The Transforming Identity of Cinema with New Technologies: Virtual Reality Cinema": a VR film experience, a presentation, and a hands-on workshop. Announced as the "International Interactive Virtual Reality Filmmaking Workshop," the event was held at the Cinema Museum in Tehran.
The event was attended by young Iranian directors, producers, actors, and filmgoers, as well as Turkish citizens living in Tehran. The presentation discussed how new technologies, from artificial intelligence to virtual and augmented reality, are changing and transforming cinema, giving it a new narrative; afterwards, participants experienced virtual reality films firsthand using VR headsets.
The intensity of the questions and discussions in the hall transformed the event from a one-way presentation into a mutual thought exercise. Talking about the future of cinema with a group ranging from short film viewers and directors to feature film producers created a meaningful bridge between the cinematic cultures of the two countries.
In national and international press
The event received extensive coverage in both Turkish and Iranian media. Anadolu Agency reported on the event under the headline "Tehran Yunus Emre Institute organizes 'virtual reality film workshop' event"; this AA-sourced news was also published on numerous national news websites, including Haber7, Vatan, SonDakika.com, and 24 TV. While the Yunus Emre Institute announced the event on its official website, the Iranian Youth Cinema Association shared the event with a photo-illustrated news report in Persian on its own media channels.
I would like to thank the Yunus Emre Institute in Tehran and the Iranian Youth Cinema Association for this invitation and cooperation, and all the participants who enriched the event with their interest.
