Istanbul CineCollective provides accommodation, travel expenses and daily meals,  including: breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  Accommodation for the Meeting on the Bridge is not provided by Cinecollective team.

Istanbul CineCollective aims to create a safe, sustainable, and inclusive environment of mutually acknowledging debate, dialogue, and exchange in which everyone is treated equally.

We, at this moment, declare that the selection process of the participants and the workshops will not include any form of favouritism, hurtful language, discrimination, abuse, marginalisation, insulting behaviour on the grounds of gender, ethnicity, religion, background, skin colour, religious belief, sexuality, gender identity, socio-economic class, caste, disability.

After completing his studies in philosophy, Jonathan Millet spent several years documenting remote and inaccessible regions for global image databases. Often traveling alone with his camera, he traversed over fifty countries—including Iran, Sudan, Pakistan, the Middle East, and much of South America and Africa. These formative years in the world’s most isolated corners taught him the art of capturing the essence of a space and the depth of a human face, mastering the ability to convey complex atmospheres through just a few shots.

Millet eventually transitioned into long-form storytelling with his debut feature documentary, Ceuta, douce prison (2013), which earned selections at over 60 international festivals. He continued his exploration of extreme environments with Tell Me About the Stars (2017), filmed in the Antarctic, and La Disparition, filmed in the Amazon.

His success extends into narrative shorts and mid-length films, which have been showcased at prestigious festivals such as Clermont-Ferrand, Pantin, Palm Springs, and Brest. Notably, his 2017 film Et toujours nous marcherons was shortlisted for the César Awards in 2018, the same year his mid-length film The Wake received a theatrical release and he was recognized as a “Talent in Short Films.”

In 2024, Millet released his first fiction feature film, Ghost Trail (Les Fantômes).

Nino is an accomplished documentary filmmaker and the co-founder of Artefact Production, a company she established a decade ago to champion creative storytelling. A graduate of Tbilisi State University and Goldsmiths, University of London, she brings a wealth of experience from her background in TV journalism, having worked with major Georgian broadcasters and various international media projects. Beyond her own filmmaking, Nino is deeply committed to nurturing the next generation of creators; she teaches documentary and experimental film at GIPA and serves as a mentor for Chai Khana, overseeing short documentary productions throughout the South Caucasus. Her award-winning filmography includes acclaimed titles such as English Teacher (Winner, CineDOC 2013), Altzaney (Best Documentary, Lessinia FF 2010), The Bridge (Visions du Réel 2015), and A Platform (2018)

Clémence Werner is a French cultural attaché and production coordinator who has worked at the Palais de la Porte Dorée in Paris, overseeing cultural programming and production coordination between 2020 and 2023. Her background lies in cultural management and institutional coordination, with a focus on facilitating cultural projects and events.

Selcen Ergun is a director, screenwriter and producer. A Berlinale Talents and Medienboard Nipkow Artist-in-Residency alumna, she is also a member of the European Film Academy. She holds an honors degree in Industrial Design / Visual Culture and a master’s degree in Directing and Screenwriting. She has written and directed award-winning short films and has worked across various formats, including webseries, interactive films and commercials for renowned brands. She has also taught courses on visual culture, photography, screenwriting and directing. In 2018, she founded her own production company, Albino Zebra Film. Her debut feature, ‘Snow and the Bear’ – a Turkish, German, Serbian co-production supported by Eurimages – premiered at Toronto International Film Festival 2022 in the Discovery Section. The film earned nomination at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards and won over 15 international awards, including the New Directors Award for Best Film at the 66th San Francisco International Film Festival, as well as Best First Film and Best Actress at the 59th Antalya International Film Festival. In addition to a strong festival run around the world – including Palm Springs, Seattle, Hamburg, Marrakesh, Shanghai, Goa, and Sydney – the film secured distribution across Europe and the US, while HBO Max acquired the streaming rights. Beyond her filmmaking, Ergun has mentored, consulted, and served on juries for various script labs and development platforms, including Meetings on the Bridge, Munich Film Up, CinéCollective and M2 Film Lab.

Florent Signifredi is a French audiovisual professional working across cinema, media, digital platforms and video games. He currently serves as a regional audiovisual attaché with a focus on international co-productions and festival partnerships. With experience in distribution and festival liaison, Signifredi has been involved in fostering collaborations between French producers and international film festivals.

We only accept online applications. Please read the requirements carefully before completing the application.

Applicants must be citizens of Iran, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, or Armenia.

Applicants must be under 45 years old.

Participants must be proficient in English and have advanced upper-intermediate or advanced-level knowledge (all the training will be in English).

Applicants are also required to have already directed a film that was selected by an A-list film festival (short or feature).

Participants must attend the entire program; successful applicants will be required to sign a memorandum of agreement. 

The participant’s identity will be disclosed in accordance with the participant’s agreement.  

We highly encourage applications from women and from directors residing in the countries of their citizenship.

Children are not accepted. 

Co-writers and co-directors can apply to the same project, but only one person from the same project can participate in CineCollective. 

The application form is expected to be filled out collectively. The project owners must decide who the participants will be.

We expect you to have at least one documentary, fiction, or hybrid film that has participated in a program at an international film festival.

No, there is no participant fee.

CineCollective provides accommodation and transportation (including breakfast and dinner), workshop training, and passes to ticketed events.

CineCollective participant announcements will be on 24th February on Beykoz Kundura’s website and social media accounts. The participants will be contacted before the official announcement.

Yes, you may reapply for the next edition.

You must participate in all programs except optional events/activities. 

Yes, you just need to be a citizen of one of the following countries: Iran, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, or Armenia.

No. you must be a citizen of one of the following countries: Iran, Turkey, Georgia, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, or Armenia.

No, you must submit your application from the country of your citizenship.