Another Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival came to an end Sunday night with an elaborate awards ceremony. The actors, actresses, producers, government ministers, guests and organizers who took part in the 10-day event arrived at the Konyaaltı Open Air Theater after walking the red carpet. But it was the world-renowned artists who were paid most of the attention and applause from Antalya's locals.

Another Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival came to an end Sunday night with an elaborate awards ceremony.

The actors, actresses, producers, government ministers, guests and organizers who took part in the 10-day event arrived at the Konyaaltı Open Air Theater after walking the red carpet. But it was the world-renowned artists who were paid most of the attention and applause from Antalya's locals.

Kevin Spacey, Bo Derek, Marisa Tomei, Matthew Modine and Mickey Rourke took their seats in the front row, and Adrien Brody joined the ceremony a little later with his mother, explaining that he had taken a trip to Cappadocia. “Turkey is such a beautiful country and I appreciate the hospitality here,” he said.

The award-winners highlighted the festival's long history of success in their speeches. The 45th year of the longest-running cinema summit in Turkey, the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, and the fourth year of the Golden Orange's global gateway, the International Eurasia Film Festival, offered 10 days of celebration in which continents, cultures and dreams came together, they said.

Critics, writers, actors and directors said they were a little surprised by the decisions of the festival's juries, but everyone congratulated the winners with respect.

The best film award of the Golden Orange Film Festival went to English director Ben Hopkins' "Market: A Tale of Trade." As the only foreign director competing in the National Feature Film Competition, Hopkins said he was delighted to receive the award.

Hopkins also received the best screenplay and best costume design awards. The best actor winner also honored “Market: A Tale of Trade.” Tayanç Ayaydın's performance was well-received by audiences and he was already expected to receive the award. When Ayaydın received the prize he shouted, “See mom and dad, I got it as I promised.”

The best actress award went to Nurgül Yeşilçay for her role in “Conscience.”

Derviş Zaim's “Dot” received most of the awards at the ceremony, including best director, the Dr. Avni Tolunay Yurtiçi Kargo Jury Special Award, best music, and best sound design and mixing.

Surprisingly, Nuri Bilge Ceylan's "Three Monkeys," which won the best director award at the 61st Cannes Film Festival, was crowned as the best feature at the second Asia Pacific Screen Awards and was chosen as Turkey's nominee for this year's Oscars, only received the best special effects award.

An honorary award was given to Australian actor Maximilian Schell by Minister of Justice Mehmet Ali Şahin. Another honorary award went to producer Michael J. Warner.

Şahin emphasized there were many things to say about the Golden Orange Film Festival but there was one sentence that could be used instead of pages. That phrase belongs to the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk: “A country that lacks arts has lost one of its vital veins.”

Congratulating the organizers, the Turkish Foundation of Cinema and Audiovisual Culture, or TÜRSAK, and the Antalya Culture and Arts Foundation, Culture Minister Ertuğrul Günay said, “Antalya is now known as a festival city. Its name is mentioned as a brand of the cinema world.” After his speech he presented the contribution to cinema and the arts award to Marisa Tomei.

Antalya Mayor Menderes Türel invoked the festival's reputation as the “Oscars of Turkey,” saying, “It opens the doors of the Turkish cinema industry to the world.” He then gave an honorary award to charismatic actor Mickey Rourke.

The head of the festival and the president of TÜRSAK, Engin Yiğitgil, also presented an honorary award to talented actor and director and two-time Oscar winner Kevin Spacey. Spacey, who befriended Turkish cinema producers, students and artists at a master class at the festival, said: “I was very excited by the interest of people, and I know that the government and producers will support the young filmmakers. They want to reach out to Hollywood, but the right thing would be Hollywood discovering them not them discovering Hollywood.”

Two other prominent actors, Tomei and Brody, were given the fourth Eurasia Film Festival Contribution to Cinema and Art Award.

The Eurasia Film Festival Awards

The Eurasia Film Festival, organized as a part of the Golden Orange Film Festival, had 12 films in competition this year. “All the films were really successful,” said the head of the festival's jury, Paul Verhoeven.

The best director award was given to Hirokazu Koreeda for his film "Still Walking" (Aruitemo Aruitemo). American actor Matthew Modine received the award on his behalf. The best film award went to “Khamsa,” directed by Karim Dridi.

This year the Turkish Film Critics Association, or SİYAD, also presented an award. The Eurasia Film Festival Award was given to “Three Monkeys,” directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, and SİYAD's Golden Orange award was presented to “My Only Sunshine,” directed by Reha Erdem.

Derviş Zaim's “Dot” received the critics' award.

The ceremony ended with all the award winners posing for a final photo to celebrate the festival's 45th year.

But the night was not over. The festival committee organized a farewell party for all the attendees. The rising Turkish band Kangroove, which plays funk, jazz, rap and hip-hop and sings in English, took the stage at the party at the Hillside Su Hotel.

Brody and Spacey also accompanied the band on stage. Brody played the piano and Spacey rapped while guests watched with admiration.

A touching moment

The Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema, or NETPAC, award, which is given at select international film festivals to promote Asian cinema and new talents, was given to Özcan Alper's film “Autumn,” one of the most-appreciated films at this year's festival. When Alper came on stage to receive his award he emphasized that he told the story of the prisoners and what they were going through inside the prisons. He told the story of a young man, 29-year-old Engin Ceber, who was severely beaten by officers while in custody. Ceber, who was accused of distributing a newspaper in the street, died in a hospital from a brain hemorrhage Saturday. “I dedicate this award to Ceber's mother,” Alper said to a standing ovation.

Veterans of cinema

During the ceremony, veterans of Turkish cinema Muhterem Nur, Eşref Kolçak and Yücel Çakmaklı received honorary awards as well. Actress Muhterem Nur was absent because of her illness, while elegant actor Eşref Kolçak made a remarkable speech. Noting that Turkish cinema was now 90 years old, he said, “I am happy to have lived 64 years of that. But I've experienced those years with my other actor friends without legislation governing employment rights in cinema industry. Even though there is legislation on it now, it doesn't include actors. The established law covers directors, musicians, cameramen and producers, but it does not apply to actors.” After Kolçak's call, Culture Minister Ertuğrul Günay rushed to the stage and said, “The law that was established in 2002 has some missing parts and we will rework it soon.”