Turkey’s longest-running film festival, the Antalya International Golden Orange Film Festival, will take place from October 24 to 31, 2026. This year’s Honorary Award will be presented to Menderes Samancılar.

Actor Menderes Samancılar, who was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 63rd International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, has appeared in over 100 feature films, television series, and digital platform productions throughout his artistic career spanning more than 50 years—from Yeşilçam to contemporary cinema. Menderes Samancılar is recognized as one of the most respected artists in Turkish cinema for his powerful character performances, creative collaborations with directors from different generations, his work in international cinema, and a career that has spanned various eras of Turkish cinema.

Samancılar took his first step into the arts in 1974 after being named Character King in the Photo Novel King Contest organized by Kelebek Newspaper. A year later, he began his film career with İnce Memed Vuruldu, directed by Yılmaz Duru. He subsequently appeared in numerous films, including Kara Çarşaflı Gelin, Güneşli Bataklık, Fırat’ın Cinleri, Kanal, Ward No. 72 (72. Koğuş), The Junk Dealer and His Sons (Eskici ve Oğulları), Whistle If You Return (Dönersen Islık Çal), Mist (Sis), Zıkkımın Kökü, On Fertile Lands (Bereketli Topraklar Üzerinde), I Saw the Sun (Güneşi Gördüm), My Father's Wings (Babamın Kanatları) and The Door (Kapı).

Samancılar, which has expanded its production in Turkey to the international film scene; has successfully represented Turkish acting in international co-productions by collaborating with OSCAR winning French director Claude Lelouch, the world-renowned Iranian-Kurdish director Bahman Ghobadi, master Iranian director Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Kurdish-French director Hiner Saleem, and Italian director Alberto Rondalli.

Throughout his career, Menderes Samancılar has received numerous prestigious awards. In 1989, he won the Best Supporting Actor Award at the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival for his performance in Sis (Mist). He later received the Best Actor Award at the Adana Golden Boll Film Festival, the Best Supporting Actor Award from the Turkish Film Critics Association (SİYAD), and the Best Actor Award from the Contemporary Cinema Actors Association (ÇASOD) for Zıkkımın Kökü. For Gözetleme Kulesi (Watchtower), he received the Best Supporting Actor Award at the Adana Golden Boll Film Festival, while his performance in Babamın Kanatları (My Father's Wings)marked one of the most significant achievements of his career, earning him the Best Actor Award at the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, the Adana Golden Boll Film Festival, the Turkish Film Critics Association (SİYAD) Awards, and the Frankfurt Turkish Film Festival. In 2016, Samancılar was honored with the Honorary Award by the Turkish Film Critics Association (SİYAD), and his long-standing contributions to the arts and Turkish cinema have also been recognized with the Orhon Murat Arıburnu Best Actor Award, the Aziz Nesin Labor Award at the Ankara International Film Festival, and the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Frankfurt Turkish Film Festival.

In addition to his acting career, Menderes Samancılar has made significant contributions to the development of film culture. As Chair of the Executive Board of the Adana International Golden Pomegranate Film Festival, he continues to contribute to the festival’s growth, while also supporting children and young filmmakers in their engagement with cinema as Chair of the Executive Board of the Şile Children’s Filmmakers Film Festival, an event in which he played a pioneering role in its founding. Samancılar, who continues his artistic production in various fields through his theater work and published poetry collections, remains a multifaceted cultural figure who has dedicated his life to cinema and the arts.

Throughout his artistic career spanning more than 50 years—from Yeşilçam to contemporary cinema—Menderes Samancılar has not only brought unforgettable characters to life but has also established himself as one of the most respected artists in Turkish cinema through his international work, his dedication to film festivals, the opportunities he has created for young filmmakers, and his lasting contributions to Turkish cinema.

The “Honorary Awards” of the 63rd International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival will be presented to their recipients at the festival’s opening ceremony on Saturday, October 24, 2026.