The TV series Bir Zamanlar Çukurova (Once Upon a Time Çukurova), which started in September 2018 and said goodbye to the screen with the 141th episode in June 2022, continues to attract great attention in the countries where it is shown as well as in Turkey. The TV series signed by Tims&B Productions, broadcast on ATV, also attracted attention in Italy. A special award was given to Kerem Alışık and Hilal Altınbilek, the leading actors of the TV series, which was shown in Italy as “Terra Amara”. Two famous names were awarded for their acting performances in Bir Zamanlar Çukurova.
Alışık and Altınbilek went to Italy to receive the award given at the 17th Nations Awards-Thinkingreen Taormina Ceremony in Sicily. During the ceremony held in the magical atmosphere of the ancient theater in the town of Taormina, the two actors were shown great interest by their Italian fans.
(Aykut Sarıbaş, Gonca Doğan, Kerem Alışık, Michel Curatolo, Filippo Micale, Pina Sarıbaş)
Kerem Alışık and Hilal Altınbilek came to Sicily before the award ceremony and attended the press conference and some promotional organizations. The theme of Nations Awards Taormina, held between 07-09 July 2013, was green environment. At the award ceremony, where a theme is determined every year, attention was drawn to environmental pollution caused by climate problems this time.
(Gonca Doğan, Michel Curatolo, Hilal Altınbilek, Aykut Sarıbaş)
The awards ceremony, held in Taormina, a town in the city of Messina in the Eastern Sicily region of Italy, is an event created to reward Italian and international cinema. Kerem Alışık and Hilal Altınbilek, who came to the island of Sicily and met with the leading names of the Nations Awards, were among the famous guests of the ceremony.
At Nations Awards Taormina, awards are given to actors and TV series from Turkey every year. Turkish actors and guests are also welcomed with special attention by Domenico Romeo, Honorary Consul General of Turkey in Sicily. After Consul Domenico Romeo could not attend the ceremony due to health reasons this year, Opera Artist Gonca Doğan also known as “Turkish Soprano” in Italy, who lived in Sicily and received a standing ovation at festivals in many different countries, she was the accompanying name as the honorary ambassador of the Consul.
Welcoming the guests from Turkey, Doğan met and accompanied Ahmet Mümtaz Taylan, who received an award at the same ceremony last year. Gonca Doğan, who also received the Nations Awards award in 2020, and who is the winner of the award given to an Opera Artist for the first time in its history, gave the following details about the ceremony where she hosted Kerem Alışık and Hilal Altınbilek:
“I and Aykut Sarıbaş (Architect), our Honorary Consul Domenico Romeo, and we were honored and proud to be the honorary ambassadors on behalf of the Sicily-Turkey friendship Association… Our association members, Mrs. Pina Sarıbaş and International Opera Artist Tenor Filippo Micale accompanied us on this glorious night. We are happy that our cinema and TV series industry has found its place in the way of branding at the international level. In all cultural and artistic activities, especially our Embassy and all its officials; Nations Award, which does not hesitate to show its sensitivity and priority professionally and generously, to our Honorary Consul Domenico Romeo, who does not give up on using his efforts and active efforts for the priority of Turkey, to all the volunteers of the association, both in Turkey and Sicily, who do not give up their support and efforts, giving importance to the position of our country in the international arena. I would like to thank its Artistic Director Michel Curatolo, Globus Television and Magazine Newspaper Editor-in-Chief Vincenzo Stroscio and its Correspondent Santo Nicolosi for immortalizing this cinema feast with his precious photographs. On behalf of all Turkey and our precious artists, we convey our endless love and gratitude to the people of Sicily, who did not spare their love, enthusiasm and applause on this night.”
While the winners took to the stage one by one at the awards night, the interest of the Italian audience to the Turkish actors was felt during the ceremony. In the famous ancient theater, when Kerem Alışık and Hilal Altınbilek received awards, there was intense applause and shows of affection from the audience.
Hilal Altınbilek took the stage first to receive her award. Wearing a long white dress, the famous actress also impresses with her beauty in the magnificent and magical atmosphere of the ancient theatre. While her fans showed great interest in the actress, the actress, who received her award from the Agrigento Governor Filippo Romano, also attracted attention with her excited state. Hilal Altınbilek greeted the audience by saying “Buonasera Italy” (Good Evening Italy).
“I am so happy. It felt very good for me to be here,” said the actress, “Were you expecting this success about the series?” “Yes, I expected it, but we did not expect it to resonate abroad so much, so we are much happier,” she said. In the meantime, Hilal Altınbilek, who was asked about her favorite players, gave the answer of Italian actress Sophia Loren.
Immediately after, Kerem Alışık was announced. It was a great excitement and enthusiasm, especially when Alışık learned Italian sentences and greeted the audience on stage. Kerem Alışık, in Italian “Good evening Sicily. I am very honored to be in front of you in such a beautiful place.”
Kerem Alışık, who received great applause with this gesture, continued his words in Turkish and said, “We are trying to do great things in our country, and it makes us extremely happy, proud, and proud that this is appreciated in Italy and other countries. We will continue to carry out works that will be followed with great interest and love in Turkey and around the world. I said the phrase we love today: I love things that cannot be bought, like the moonlight, like the sea, like the sky, like love… I am very honored to receive this award today. I am very proud, happy, I will wrap this in cotton and keep it in a very special place. Thank you very much to those who gave me this. Rumi says; Everything you do with your heart comes back to you. I believe this very much. Thank you all,” he said.
Receiving his award from the Nations Awards Artistic Director Michel Curatolo, Kerem Alışık shared his happiness with the audience and then stepped off the stage amid applause.
Oscar-winning American actor F. Murray Abraham was also among the recipients of the ceremony, which attracted great interest from the press. Abraham and Alışık also had the opportunity to chat for a while during the night. Kerem Alışık invited the famous American name to Turkey, where he had the opportunity to talk about cinema and theater. F. Murray Abraham, who played Antonio Salieri in the 1984 movie Amedeus, received the “Academy Award for Best Actor” for his role in this movie. Kerem Alışık, the famous actor,
While talking about the play Amedeus, a joint production of Çolpan İlhan-Sadri Alışık Theater and Piu Entertainment, he invited him to Turkey to watch the play.
Hilal Altınbilek and Kerem Alışık, who took photos with their fans throughout the ceremony, had exciting moments in front of their displays of love. After the ceremony, many people followed them as they went to the vehicles of the two actors. Fans, who were waiting for their exit from the theater square, almost competed with each other to be photographed.
During the stampede, Kerem Alışık and Hilal Altınbilek continued to walk among the displays of affection, without offending their fans, who called them by their names and wanted to take pictures and take pictures. Meanwhile, the increasing concentration of the crowd slowed down the walks of the two famous actors on the street. Alışık and Altınbilek, who were both happy with the attention they received and tried to be taken to their vehicles quickly by the officials in the crowd, had a tight time among the crowds, albeit for a short time.
The two actors, who were not indifferent to these displays of love, kept their smiles and continued to take photos at the insistence of their fans as much as they could.