Yeşim Ustaoğlu's film Artakalan is distributed by MUBI!
After its festival journey, the distribution process for Yeşim Ustaoğlu's new film Artakalan has begun to take shape. The Match Factory has taken on the worldwide sales for the Turkey-France-Luxembourg-Bulgaria co-production. MUBI has acquired all the rights for the film in Turkey.
According to the agreement announced for the first time by ScreenDaily, the cinema screening and broadcast plan for Artakalan in Turkey will be revealed in the coming months. Thus, the film will head to its world premiere in San Sebastián with an international sales representative and a distributor in Turkey already determined.
Third collaboration with The Match Factory
Artakalan brings Yeşim Ustaoğlu and The Match Factory together for the third time. The company will represent the film in festival and distribution markets, negotiating rights for cinema, television, and digital broadcasting in various countries.
The international sales agreement was finalized before the film's screening in the main competition at San Sebastián. This timeline may provide Artakalan with a significant advantage, allowing the interest generated during the world premiere to directly influence distribution negotiations.
The film's three pillars unite around MUBI
On the surface, the unseen aspect of the agreement lies in the connection between MUBI and The Match Factory. MUBI not only is one of the co-producers of Artakalan but also holds the rights to the film in Turkey.
The Match Factory, which is handling the worldwide sales, has been operating under MUBI since 2022. Although the company continues its international sales efforts under its own brand, the co-production, Turkey distribution, and worldwide sales aspects of Artakalan have been shaped around the same corporate group.
The producers of the film include Ustaoğlu Film, Luxembourg-based Tarantula, France's Cité Films, and Bulgaria's RFF International. MUBI, Pak Ventures, and Yuvision are participating as co-producers, while istos film is also involved in the production process.
The journey of a poet who has lost their creative power
Artakalan focuses on Elif, a poet trapped within the order of her life and her desire to create. Seeking to rediscover her zest for life and creative voice, Elif leaves behind her familiar family structure and the life that has been laid out for her, chasing the possibility of another way of living.
The film stars Öykü Karayel, Metin Akdülger, Ali Kayra Kul, and İlyas Salman. The screenplay is written by Yeşim Ustaoğlu, while the poems used in the film belong to Birhan Keskin, and the music is by Şevket Akıncı.
Ustaoğlu describes the film as a journey out of a life where one has nearly lost their appetite for living and creative inspiration. In the director's narrative, themes of freedom, simplicity, reconnecting with the senses, and the quest for unconditional love stand out.
Competing for the Golden Shell in San Sebastián
Artakalan will have its world premiere in the main competition of the 74th San Sebastián International Film Festival, which will take place from September 18-26, 2026. The film is among the productions competing for the Golden Shell.
Yeşim Ustaoğlu is no stranger to the festival. The director won the festival's top prize, the Golden Shell, in 2008 with Pandora's Box. Artakalan represents Ustaoğlu's return to the festival's main competition with a new film after nearly 18 years.
While the festival selection has been announced previously, the agreements between The Match Factory and MUBI will determine the film's journey after San Sebastián. It has yet to be revealed whether Artakalan will first be shown in theaters in Turkey, go directly to MUBI, or follow a two-phase release model.
