Strengthening Developing Nations' Cultural Diplomacy Through International Film Festival
The Global Youth Diplomacy Community in Türkiye (GYDCT), led by President Naufal Ubaidillah, successfully organised the ‘Global South Film Festival 2026’ in Istanbul, Türkiye. The international film festival, initiated by Naufal as its Founder, served as a collaborative space for filmmakers, academics, and young people to strengthen cultural diplomacy and introduce new narratives from Global South nations.
GYDCT is an international student organisation founded by students from various countries pursuing their studies in Istanbul. Under Naufal Ubaidillah’s leadership, the organisation actively builds cross-border cooperation through various youth diplomacy, cultural, and global leadership programmes.
Embracing the spirit of ‘Reframing the World Through Global South Narratives’, the festival presented seven films by filmmakers from Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Türkiye. The screened films addressed diverse issues concerning identity, societal struggles, development, social justice, and the political and cultural dynamics characteristic of Global South nations.
In addition to film screenings, the festival featured a panel discussion titled ‘Reframing the World: Global South Narratives Through Cinema’, bringing together prominent Turkish film figures. The panel included Abdullah Harun İlhan, a Turkish filmmaker whose work has been presented at the Cannes Film Festival, and Eren Özkaradeniz, a filmmaker and Artificial Intelligence-based film creator known as a pioneer in utilising AI for the film industry. Documentary filmmaker Ayşegül Selenga Taşkent, who has produced various documentaries on social and humanitarian issues, also participated.
The discussion was moderated by Onur Varol, a journalist from TRT World, who invited panellists to discuss how cinema can serve as an instrument of soft power, public diplomacy, and a medium for building new perspectives on Global South nations amidst the dominance of global narratives. As part of the event series, the Global South Film Festival 2026 also held a ‘Film, Diplomacy, and Global South Workshop’ attended by participants from various backgrounds, predominantly international students.
During the workshop, participants were divided into discussion groups to formulate strategic recommendations for strengthening Global South film diplomacy. Discussions covered the use of cinema as a cultural diplomacy instrument, strengthening cross-border cooperation, developing the Global South film ecosystem, and strategies for building more balanced alternative narratives in the global cultural arena.
Naufal stated that the festival was born from the belief that Global South nations possess many stories, experiences, and perspectives deserving of a larger international stage. ‘Film is not merely a work of art, but also a universal language capable of building mutual understanding between nations. Through the Global South Film Festival, we aim to provide a collaborative space so that Global South nations can get to know each other, learn from one another, and together build fairer narratives in the global conversation,’ Naufal told reporters on Tuesday (30/6).
He further asserted that the festival is an initial step towards building a broader cultural diplomacy network among developing nations through the involvement of young people, filmmakers, academics, and various international stakeholders. The successful organisation of the Global South Film Festival 2026 in Istanbul is expected to become a foundation for similar festivals in the coming years with a wider reach and greater participation from the Global South film community worldwide. Through this initiative, the Global Youth Diplomacy Community in Türkiye reaffirms its commitment to being an international collaboration platform that strengthens youth diplomacy, cultural exchange, and strategic cooperation among Global South nations in facing 21st-century global challenges.