Sinematek/Cinema House which shares the same purpose with all other cinematheques around the world, works for protecting film heritage and disseminating film culture. A cultural institution which aims to serve as a bridge between the past and the present of cinema, it was established in 2018, under the roof of Kadıköy Municipality, by the initiative of Jak Şalom, a member of the founding team of Turkish Cinematheque Association which was established in 1965 and closed down after the military coup d’état on September 12th, 1980.
In the first booklet published by the Turkish Cinematheque Association in 1965, Onat Kutlar (one of the founders of the Association) says that organizing film screenings can only be one of the many functions of a cinematheque and he states that the main purpose of these institutions shall be protecting and preserving movies. In accordance with this purpose, Sinematek/Cinema House will create its own archive by collecting photographs, posters, books, machines and documents related to cinema and ensure that they’re preserved in good shape and made available for the benefit of the new generations.
Sinematek/Cinema House building includes a main screening hall with 160 seats, an archive room, a library, an exhibition hall and individual film watching units. There are film screenings in the main hall every day except Monday. Sinematek/Cinema House organizes programs dedicated to filmmakers, film movements and various themes, besides its regular short film and documentary screenings.
The screenings are accompanied by exhibitions, panels, seminars, workshops and courses in Sinematek/Cinema House that keeps its doors open to all filmmakers and film lovers. The library and the archive aim to be accessible for the researchers and students working on cinema.
* Click for Hakkı Başgüney's article on the history of the Turkish Cinematheque Association.
* How was the new Sinematek/Cinema House born? Click here for the article by Jak Şalom.