Skipped Cinemas, Won in Italy: Sultana’s Prime Video Gamble

A Turkish feature that never opened in a single cinema has just taken Best Film in the Mediterranean Films selection at the Matera Fiction Film & TV Festival in Italy. Sultana, a drama about seven dancers at an Istanbul nightclub, went from a world premiere at the Istanbul Film Festival in April to a worldwide Prime Video release in September, and now to a European award. For anyone who buys, finances or programmes Turkish content, the interesting part is not only the prize. It is the route the film took to get there, and what that route says about how independent producers in Türkiye are now monetising feature films.

In brief

• Best Film, Mediterranean Films selection at Matera Fiction Film & TV Festival (Italy), as reported by Turkish entertainment journalist Birsen Altuntaş on 16 October 2026. Screenwriter Erdi Işık accepted the award.
• No theatrical release: the film went straight to Prime Video on 17 September 2026, in Türkiye and worldwide, with an 18+ rating.
• Festival track before streaming: world premiere in the New Visions section of the 45th Istanbul Film Festival (April 2026), then a Panorama screening at the Da Nang Asian Film Festival in Vietnam.
• Star power with an international record: lead actress Tuba Büyüküstün was an International Emmy finalist for Best Actress in 2014.
• Independent ownership: producer Rodi Kayım’s company Rodi Medya is listed as handling world sales itself, with no outside sales agent named.

What exactly did Sultana win in Italy?

Short answer: the Best Film award in the festival’s Mediterranean Films selection. According to Birsen Altuntaş, the jury chose Sultana for the way it treats rivalry and solidarity between women from an almost fairy-tale angle, and singled out the performances of Tuba Büyüküstün and Derya Pınar Ak.

Matera Fiction is a relatively young event. It was founded and is directed by Giuseppe Papasso, with support from the Basilicata Region and the municipality and province of Matera, and describes itself as an observatory and conference on TV seriality. Its first edition in June 2023 focused on Latin America and the Mediterranean and already included a panel on Türkiye, Algeria and Tunisia, with guests from the Turkish production company Ay Yapım. The second edition in June 2024 brought guests such as Abel Ferrara and Emir Kusturica. In 2026 the city of Matera also carries the title of Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue, which gives any Mediterranean-themed award there extra visibility.

One caveat for professionals: at the time of writing, we found the award reported by Turkish sources but no official list of 2026 winners from the festival itself. The edition number, dates and the rest of the palmarès could not be checked.

Why did a star-led film skip Turkish cinemas?

Short answer: the producers chose a guaranteed global window on a platform over a risky domestic box office run. In autumn 2025 Turkish press reported plans for a theatrical release in Türkiye and Europe. By September 2026 the film was available only in the Prime Video library, as the film site Beyazperde put it: not in cinemas, only on the platform.

The financial terms of the Prime Video deal have not been published. But the logic is familiar across the Turkish market. Domestic box office for local dramas is volatile, marketing a theatrical release is expensive, and a worldwide streaming launch puts the film in front of audiences in dozens of countries on day one. For an adult-rated drama about a nightclub, a platform release also avoids the limited screen count that 18+ titles often face.

This is the second recent case we have covered of a platform reshaping how a Turkish film reaches audiences. Earlier this month, Prime Video let the Antalya Golden Orange festival host the premiere of Özcan Deniz’s Son Yemek before its streaming launch. Together these cases show platforms using festivals as launch pads rather than competitors.

Who made Sultana, and who owns the rights?

Short answer: an independent team led by producer Rodi Kayım, whose company handles world sales directly. The key credits, based on the Istanbul Film Festival catalogue, Beyazperde and the Da Nang festival:

The project also passed through Meetings on the Bridge, the industry platform of the Istanbul Film Festival run by İKSV, which connects Turkish projects with co-producers, sales agents and funds. That is a useful signal: the film was visible to the international industry well before it reached audiences.

What is the film about, and why does that matter for buyers?

Short answer: a female-led drama about power and rivalry, a theme that travels well beyond Türkiye. The story is set in the Sultana nightclub in Istanbul. Meral, played by Tuba Büyüküstün, has been the club’s star for years. She takes Anna, a young dancer from Belarus played by Derya Pınar Ak, under her wing, and mentorship slowly turns into a struggle for control. Around them are seven dancers whose stories explore competition, dependence and solidarity.

The ensemble cast includes Seray Kaya, Begüm Akkaya, Rojbin Erden, Şirin Sultan Saldamlı and Itır Esen, with guest appearances by Nur Sürer, Çağlar Çorumlu, Hakan Kurtaş, Taro Emir Tekin and Melike Güner. Speaking at the Da Nang Asian Film Festival, Büyüküstün said the cast had around six weeks of training for the dance scenes.

For international programmers, three features stand out: a recognisable lead actress, an urban Istanbul setting that is not the familiar family-saga format of Turkish dizi, and a story built around women’s relationships, a genre with steady demand on streaming services.

How strong is Tuba Büyüküstün’s international pull?

Short answer: strong, and documented. Büyüküstün was an International Emmy finalist for Best Actress in 2014 for the series 20 Dakika, widely reported as the first Turkish actress nominated in that category. In 2018 she attended the International Emmys again as the lead of Cesur ve Güzel, a finalist in the Telenovela category. In December 2024 she sat on the jury of the Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia, alongside jury president Spike Lee.

Her series have travelled widely in the Middle East, the Balkans and Latin America, which gives any new project with her name built-in recognition in those markets. For a festival in southern Italy that focuses on TV seriality, her presence is a natural bridge between Turkish series fame and arthouse-leaning cinema.

How does Sultana fit into Türkiye’s content export boom?

Short answer: it shows the same storytelling engine moving from series into streaming films. Türkiye is widely described as the third-largest exporter of scripted series after the United States and the United Kingdom. Parrot Analytics reported in February 2024 that global demand for Turkish series grew 184% between 2020 and 2023, compared with 73% for Korean dramas. Turkish officials say the country’s series now reach more than a billion viewers and that annual exports exceed one billion dollars, although they do not give a year or methodology for that figure.

Feature films are a smaller business than series, but they are where platforms test talent, genres and new directors. A streaming film that also collects a European award strengthens the case for more Turkish originals and acquisitions in the film category.

Our take

For buyers and platforms: Sultana is a case study in how a Turkish independent film can secure global reach without a cinema release. Prime Video holds the streaming window, but rights such as free TV, airline, educational or remake rights are typically negotiated separately; it is worth asking the producer directly what remains available, since world sales sit with Rodi Medya.

For festivals and events: Mediterranean and series-focused festivals are an underused showcase for Turkish talent. A star like Büyüküstün attending a Q&A, as she did in Da Nang, generates press in several markets at once.

For producers: the sequence of industry platform (Meetings on the Bridge), home festival premiere, international festival screenings, global platform launch and then awards is replicable. Keeping world sales in-house gives control, but it also means the producer must actively work markets such as MIPCOM and festival industry days.

For brands: award news after a streaming release extends a film’s marketing life. Sponsors and partners attached to a title can benefit from a second wave of visibility weeks after launch.

FAQ

Is Sultana a film or a series?

It is a feature film of about 116 minutes, not a series.

Where can I watch Sultana?

On Prime Video, where it was released on 17 September 2026 in Türkiye and worldwide. It is rated 18+.

What award did Sultana win?

Best Film in the Mediterranean Films selection at the Matera Fiction Film & TV Festival in Italy, according to Turkish press reports from 16 October 2026.

Who directed and wrote Sultana?

It was directed by Ali Kemal Güven from a screenplay by Erdi Işık, and produced by Rodi Kayım.

Who stars in Sultana?

Tuba Büyüküstün and Derya Pınar Ak lead the cast, with Seray Kaya, Begüm Akkaya, Rojbin Erden, Şirin Sultan Saldamlı and Itır Esen.

Who handles international sales?

The Istanbul Film Festival catalogue lists producer Rodi Kayım (Rodi Medya) as handling world sales.

Did Sultana play at other festivals?

Yes. It premiered in the New Visions section of the 45th Istanbul Film Festival in April 2026 and screened in the Panorama of Asian Cinema section at the Da Nang Asian Film Festival in Vietnam.

Sources

• Birsen Altuntaş, “Sultana’ya İtalya’dan En İyi Film Ödülü!”, 16 October 2026: birsenaltuntas.com
• Istanbul Film Festival (İKSV), Sultana film page: film.iksv.org
• Beyazperde, Sultana release on Prime Video: beyazperde.com and cast: beyazperde.com
• Da Nang Asian Film Festival, Sultana: danaff.vn
• Señal News, Matera Fiction launch: senalnews.com
• Parrot Analytics, Turkish series demand: parrotanalytics.com
• Yeni Şafak, global reach of Turkish series, 28 August 2026: yenisafak.com
• NTV, Tuba Büyüküstün on the Red Sea Film Festival jury: ntv.com.tr

This article is for information only and is based on public sources available at the time of publication. Deal terms, rights availability and festival details should be confirmed directly with the rights holders and organisers.