Swiss-Kenyan director Damien Hauser’s dystopian fable “Memories of Princess Mumbi,” set in a fictional Africa created using artificial intelligence in 2093, won the Golden Tulip Award at the Istanbul Film Festival on Sunday.
Set in the futuristic African nation of Umata, Memories of Princess Mumbi is a playful metafiction with elements of romance, mockumentary, and revolves around a love triangle between a film director named Kube, an aspiring actress, and a prince.
The film’s win at the Istanbul Film Festival marks the first time that an AI-made feature film has won the top prize at a prestigious film festival.
In an interview with Variety, director Hauser paradoxically admitted that he couldn’t have made this movie without using AI, even though he aimed to “make a movie that no AI could ever make.” “Memories of Princess Mumbi” began last September at the self-run Venice Days section in Venice and has since toured extensively, including in Toronto and Zurich.
The Istanbul Film Festival jury, led by Scottish director David McKenzie (Fuse), has awarded the event’s Special Jury Prize to Chinese art world darling Bi Gan’s six-part epic Resurrection, in which a cinematic monster floats through China’s 100 years of history. “Resurrection” previously won the 2025 Cannes Special Jury Prize.
Best director in Istanbul went to French duo Romane Guerre and Lise Akoka’s coming-of-age drama Summer Beats, while best screenplay went to Austrian director Markus Schleinzer and Alexander Blom, co-writer of Rose, starring Sandra Hüller. In this historical tragedy, Hüller plays a 17th century woman living as a man.
Turkish film won acting award. The best actress award went to Inci Sefa Singoz for her role as a troubled young woman in the drama “After Dark,” directed by first-time director Pinar Yorgancioglu, while the actor award went to Kemal Burak Alper for Nuri Cihan Özdoğan’s “A Dead Dog Never Bites,” which mixes social drama and gang war movie tropes.
The 45th Istanbul Film Festival, held from April 9th to 19th, marked the revamped version of Turkey’s largest film event and market. Artistic Director Kerem Ayan has made the festival more global with a new format that mixes Turkish and foreign films in the main competition, while also contributing to the revitalization of local cinema by continuing to have other sections dedicated solely to Turkish films.
Organized by the Istanbul Culture and Arts Foundation (IKSV), the festival has relaunched a vibrant version of the “Meeting on the Bridge” market component under the new leadership of former Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival chiefs Basak Emre and Punar Evrenosor.
And the winner is…
golden tulip contest
Golden Tulip Best Picture – “Memories of Princess Mumbi” directed by Damien Hauser
Special Jury Award – “Resurrection” directed by Bee Gun
Best Director – Lise Akoka, Romane Guerre “Ma frère” (“Summer Beats”)
Best Original Screenplay – Markus Schleinzer, Alexander Blom, “Rose”
Best Actress – Inji Sefa Chingoz, “Those Who Whistle After Dark”
Best Actor – Kemal Burak Alper, “Dead Dogs Never Bite”
Special Award (for all animals appearing in the film) – “The Hen” directed by György Palfi
short film competition
Best Short Film – “Gravity” (directed by Darya Keres)
Special Award – “Love and the Others” directed by Sitela Deilmen
new vision
Seifi Teoman Best Picture Award – “32 Meters” directed by Morteza Atabaki
Best Cinematography – Jiya Demirel, Yusuf Tan Demirel “Greatest Funeral Hits”
Best Editing Award – Morteza Atabaki “32 Meters”
Best Actress – Esra Delmanjuor (“The Greatest Funeral Hits”)
Best Actor – Black Dakak “About My Mama”
Best Supporting Actress – Chadash Ekin Shishman (“The Greatest Funeral Hits”)
Best Supporting Actor – Ozer Kecech (“The Greatest Funeral Hits”)
Best Art Direction – Elif Öner (“Untitled Debris Dump”)
Best Music Award – Efe Demiral “Untitled Destruction”
independent awards
International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI)
Golden Tulip Competition Best Picture Award “Rose of Nevada” (directed by Mark Jenkin)
Turkiye Directors Association (FİLM-YÖN)
Best Director Award (in memory of Osman Sinaf) – Sunay Terzioglu “Bonds, Roots and Passion”
Documentary Filmmakers Society of Turkiye (BSB)
Turkiye Documentary Film – Best Documentary – “2m2” (directed by Volkan Üce)
Turkish Film Critics Association (SİYAD)
“Untitled Fragment” directed by Merik Kul
