7th Mercy to Universe film festival kicks off in Turkey

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - NOVEMBER 22: The 7th Mercy to the Universe International Short Film Festival kicked off in Istanbul on Monday.The week-long festival at Atlas Cinema is being organized in cooperation with the Siyer Foundation and the Fidan Art Foundation and is supported by Turkey’s Culture and Tourism Ministry, with Anadolu Agency as its global communication partner.The festival aims to introduce the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to the world.In the opening ceremony, trailers from movies that advanced to the finals of national and international competitions were screened.Speaking to Anadolu Agency, festival director Cemil Nazli said: "There will be very important events and screenings related to cinema and art for six days. In these screenings, we will bring short films by directors to moviegoers," he added.He noted that this year's special guest is Spanish director Oliver Laxe, who has received many awards at the Cannes Film Festival.Laxe, who heads the festival's international jury, will hold a Master Class for film industry professionals on Nov. 25 as part of the Final Draft Section of the festival.The festival will also host Kaz Rahman, a Canadian filmmaker and writer, who will be participating for the first time. On Nov. 23, a conversation with Rahman on Islamophobia in the film industry will be conducted at Akademi Beyoglu, moderated by author Peren Birsaygili Mut. (Footage by Metin Yuksel Kaya /Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)