World premiere
Empire of the Rabbits
A daring boy’s journey against the cruel entanglements of deception and disabilities of the adult world.
Musa lives with his father, Beko, in rural Turkey. Beko, struggling to make ends meet by assisting in rabbit-hound races, is lured by the promise of a government disability pension for Musa if he can prove his son's “disability” with a medical report. To pass as disabled, Musa must learn to mimic the mannerisms of people with physical disabilities from Nergis, a girl his age. Together, the two children form an enduring friendship as they navigate their plight.
As the suppression of their adult world increases, Musa rescues Nergis into his dream of a rabbit empire founded in an old mine with all the rabbits Musa could save from the traps and the hound races. What will Musa and Nergis’s fate be as they fight to save themselves and the rabbits? Will they forever remain lost in a world of fantasy?
Milani Perera
Seyfetti̇n Tokmak (1978) is a Turkish director, cinematographer, and film theorist with a versatile background in film and television education. He has been actively involved in both practical filmmaking and film essay writing. Tokmak has also worked extensively for the benefit of children, participating in the work of the UN International Organization for Migration to help child refugees and conducting short film courses in juvenile prison. Children are also the main characters in his refugee-themed debut feature film “Broken Mussels” (2011), which won the Arte Award at the Sarajevo Film Festival. As a documentarian, Seyfettin Tokmak made the tragicomic film about treasure hunters “Dream Gang” (2010) and the documentary series “Orient Express” (2011), which showcases contemporary Turkey.
Kirik Midyeler (Broken Mussels, 2011), Tavşan İmparatorluğu (Empire of the Rabbits, 2024)
Grand Prix for The Best Film, grant of 20 000 euros from the city of Tallinn, Award for Best Director, grant of 5000€ from Alexela
