ABOUT THE SYMPOSIUM
Can a relationship be established between films and philosophy? What kind of contributions can cinema make to philosophy itself? Beyond supporting written philosophy, is it possible for cinema to engage in philosophy on its own terms and generate original ideas? If films indeed do philosophy, how does this philosophy—carried out through images—differ from the one done through words and writing?
Since 2016, we have been pursuing these questions through a SinePhilosophical journey, led by SineFilozofi, the first and only international academic journal in Türkiye indexed in international databases and dedicated to the field of philosophy of cinema. This journey continued with a series of Cinema and Philosophy Symposiums initiated in 2018 and reached a new phase in 2022 with the foundation of the Cinema and Philosophy Association.
Today, we are delighted to invite you to the 8th International Cinema and Philosophy Symposium, which will be held in Ankara on December 5–6, 2025, organized in collaboration with SineFilozofi Journal and the Cinema and Philosophy Association. This symposium aims to bring together thinkers, creators, and all those who seek to open new spaces in the contemporary world.
We are honored to announce our distinguished keynote speakers in the field of cinema and philosophy. This year’s symposium will host Prof. Dr. Nathan T. Anderson, author of Shadow Philosophy: Plato’s Cave and Cinema and Film, Philosophy, and Reality: Ancient Greece to Godard, who teaches philosophy and cinema at Eckerd College. He is also the founder and co-director of the “International Cinema Series” and co-director of the “Visions of Nature/Voices of Nature” Environmental Film Festival.
We will also be joined by Yeşim Ustaoğlu, an acclaimed director whose films such as Journey to the Sun, Waiting for the Clouds, Pandora’s Box, Araf, and Clair Obscur have received awards both nationally and internationally. Alongside these guests, many other significant figures in the field of cinema and philosophy will also participate.
As in previous years, this year’s symposium will provide an opportunity for deep reflection and discussion on the relationship between cinema and philosophy. It will bring together cinema practitioners, academic circles, and all cinema enthusiasts. The program will include presentations by scholars working in this field, as well as talks and interviews with filmmakers and artists from Turkish cinema.
The 8th International Cinema and Philosophy Symposium by The Journal of SineFilozofi will be held in cooperation with the Ankara City Council (ACC) at the ACC Reception Building on December 5–6, 2025.
Address: Kızılay, Atatürk Boulevard No:18, Ankara
We warmly invite you to join us as participants or audience members at the symposium, organized in collaboration with the Cinema and Philosophy Association, where we will share ideas, discuss cinema and philosophy, and foster the production of new “thought.” We welcome all those who seek and create the new.
Looking forward to seeing you in Ankara on December 5–6, 2025!
Symposium Organizing Committee