A CINEMA IN AYVALIK
Vural Cinema, which holds an important place in Ayvalık’s cultural memory, will be brought back to life as an accessible and sustainable cinema and cultural venue open throughout the year.
With the support of Ortaklaşa, Vural Cinema will become a vibrant public cultural venue shaped collaboratively by civil society and local government. The project will renovate the cinema’s physical and technical infrastructure and establish a shared operating model that will enable the venue to host municipal activities during the day and film screenings, children’s activities, talks and special programmes in the evenings and at weekends.
Following the renovation of Vural Cinema, professional training will be provided for the technical team. The cinema will reopen under its new model in February 2027. It will host free weekly children’s film screenings and workshops, European film screenings and talks, as well as special programmes focusing on women directors and gastronomy. It will also host events linked to festivals in Ayvalık and develop collaborative programmes with independent arts, culture and film communities across the Aegean Region and Türkiye.
Alongside the Ayvalık International Film Festival, the association organises Genç Sinema, Seyir Children’s Day, Ayvalık Open-Air Film Nights and Ayvalık Winter Festival. It works to provide access to high-quality arts and cultural activities for audiences primarily across the Balıkesir Gulf Region, as well as in İzmir, Çanakkale, Aydın, Mersin, Istanbul and Mytilene.