The Antalya International Golden Orange Film Festival, one of Turkey’s longest-running film events, is set to take place from October 24 to 31, 2026. This year’s Young Achievement Award, presented as part of the festival, will be given to young actor Cem Yiğit Üzümoğlu, who has appeared in major projects in theater, television, and film.
Awarded the Young Talent Award at the 63rd International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, actor and photographer Cem Yiğit Üzümoğlu—born in Istanbul on March 1, 1994, to parents who were both English teachers—began his acting career after graduating from the Ankara State Conservatory at Hacettepe University. Having built a successful career both on the theater stage and in television and film projects, Cem Yiğit Üzümoğlu is also passionate about photography. The 32-year-old Üzümoğlu has studied physical theater and modern dance in India and Poland. In addition to his acting career, Üzümoğlu serves as the Set Unit Coordinator on the board of the Actors’ Union, where he actively works on issues related to set working conditions, organization, communication, and international relations, and participates in projects and panel discussions aimed at advancing the rights of industry workers.
Cem Yiğit Üzümoğlu won the “Most Successful Young Artist of the Year” award at the 21st Afife Theater Awards in 2017 for his performance in the play Troas. In 2022, he was honored with the “Best Actor” award at the 59th International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival for his performance in the film LCV (Please Respond). In 2026, he won the “Best Actor” award at the 26th International Frankfurt Turkish Film Festival for his role in the film Sahibinden Rahmet. In 2019, Cem Yiğit Üzümoğlu was nominated for “Most Successful Supporting Actor of the Year (Theater)” at the 24th Sadri Alışık Theater and Cinema Actor Awards for his performance in Kalp. At the 62nd International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, Cem Yiğit Üzümoğlu presented the award to veteran actress Serap Aksoy, who was honored with the festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Throughout his film career, Cem Yiğit Üzümoğlu portrayed the character Mert in the 2022 film LCV (Please Reply) and Ali in the 2023 film Dark Night. In 2024, he took on the role of Ali Yaman in the film Season of Love, in which he played the lead, and also appeared in the film As the New Dawn Fades that same year. In 2025, the actor portrayed the character of İrfan in the film Sahibinden Rahmet, and will portray Kazım Koyuncu in the upcoming film Kazım.
Cem Yiğit Üzümoğlu began his television career in 2017 playing the character Hakan Şahin in the series Adı Efsane. In 2024, the actor played the lead character, Uygar Gür, in the series Aşka Düşman, and from 2024 to 2025, he appeared as Cevat Şakir in the series Şakir Paşa Ailesi: Mucizeler ve Skandallar.
In his first project on digital platforms, Üzümoğlu played the character Emir in the 2018 series Hakan: The Guardian; in 2020 and 2022, he portrayed Fatih Sultan Mehmed in the lead role of the Netflix documentary series Rise of Empires: Ottoman. In 2021, the actor took on the role of Emre/Tuncay Kökdemir in the film Kin, and will soon bring the lead character Cem to life in the upcoming production Sonra Gözler Görür.
On the theater stage, Cem Yiğit Üzümoğlu appeared as Astyanax in the 2016 production of Troas and performed in the 2018 plays Salto, Kalp (as Felix), and Evlat (as Nicolas). In 2021, he played Prince Hamlet in Hamlet, and in 2022, he played Tom in Sırça. He continued his theater career in 2023 with a role in Baklava Cumhuriyeti, and in 2024 with roles in Öteki and The Dogs.
The “Young Achievers Awards” of the 63rd International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival will be presented at the festival’s opening ceremony on Saturday, October 24, 2026.