Jury Insights – Interview with Filiz Zengin

Our “Jury Insights” series welcomes Filiz Zengin, Channel Coordinator at tv4, who joins this year's Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards jury.

With a career spanning television reporting, production, and documentary and film acquisitions, including a decade at 24 TV, Filiz now serves as the Art Director of Whispering Walls, a documentary that is making the rounds on the festival circuit. She also writes a column, Açık Görüş, for Star Newspaper's Open Opinion supplement, where she introduces Turkish readers to international stories.

In this conversation, she talks about the shift toward authenticity and human-centered storytelling she noticed in this year's entries, and why a film needs a soul, truth over polish, to stay with her after judging ends. She also explains why she believes an award-winning entry is one that makes you feel something, stays with you, and makes the case for awards as a tool that pushes the industry to be more courageous in the stories it chooses to tell.

“The most powerful films are not the ones that try hardest to impress you. They are the ones that quietly leave a feeling behind.” – Filiz Zengin

Q: Can you tell us a little about your professional journey? What has been the most defining moment of your career so far?

My professional journey in television and media spans more than 25 years. I started my career as a television reporter, which gave me the opportunity to observe people, society and stories from very different perspectives. Over the years, I moved into production and worked with news channels, while also becoming involved in documentary and film acquisitions. Living and working in both New York and London also had a profound influence on my professional perspective. Being exposed to different cultures, storytelling traditions and international media environments taught me to look beyond the obvious and to understand the importance of context, authenticity and a strong narrative. One of the most defining aspects of my career has been the opportunity to experience storytelling from different sides — as a reporter, a producer, a content selector and now as a jury member. Each role has shaped the way I understand what makes a story meaningful and memorable.

I would say that the most defining moment has not been a single event, but the evolution of my career itself. Moving from being the person who tells the story to becoming someone who evaluates and recognizes the stories of others has been an incredibly rewarding journey.

Q: Has participating in the jury changed the way you view your own work or the industry?

Absolutely. Being a jury member has made me even more conscious of the responsibility that comes with storytelling.

When you watch so many productions from different countries, industries and cultures, you begin to see both the universal language of storytelling and the many different ways in which organizations communicate their identity, values and vision. It has also reminded me that technical quality alone is never enough. A beautifully produced film can still feel empty if it does not have a genuine idea, an emotional connection or a clear purpose. The jury experience has encouraged me to question my own work more deeply: Is there a real story here? Is it authentic? Does it respect the audience? And most importantly, will it stay with people after they have finished watching?

But my experience as a jury member has also influenced my work in another, more personal way. Over the past five years, I have had the opportunity to watch extraordinary documentaries and films that tell deeply human, inspiring, and sometimes completely unexpected stories from around the world. I often find myself thinking, People in Turkey should know about these stories.

That feeling has inspired me to bring some of these stories to a wider Turkish audience through my column, Açık Görüş, in Star Newspaper. I write about stories and films that I discover through my international experience, because I believe that powerful storytelling should travel across borders. There are so many remarkable stories being told around the world, and sharing them with Turkish readers has become a meaningful extension of my work as a journalist and storyteller.

In that sense, being part of the jury has not only changed the way I look at films and the industry; it has also expanded my own role as a storyteller. I am not only evaluating stories anymore. I am also looking for ways to bring the stories that move and inspire me to audiences who might otherwise never have the opportunity to discover them. I think the experience has also strengthened my belief that while the industry is constantly evolving and the tools are changing rapidly, the fundamental principles of good storytelling remain remarkably consistent. A truly powerful story can cross languages, cultures and borders — and that is perhaps the most valuable thing I have learned from being part of this jury.

Q: What are your impressions of this year's entries? Are there any trends or approaches that have caught your attention?

What struck me most in this year’s entries is how ambitious and sophisticated documentary storytelling has become. One Orphan Every Hour reminded me of journalism at its most powerful — giving voice to those unheard and resonating far beyond borders. Poison in the Sand showed how authentic interviews and dramatization can blend seamlessly, creating both emotional depth and editorial precision. And Where Next – Season 2 proved that corporate films can be visionary, artistic short documentaries designed for digital audiences.

I’ve noticed that many organizations are no longer just explaining what they do; they’re trying to share why they exist and what impact they want to make. There’s also a clear shift toward authenticity and humancentered storytelling — audiences today quickly sense when something feels too polished or artificial. The films that stay with me are the ones where real people, genuine experiences, and emotions shine through. Technology is opening up new possibilities, but I think it works best when it supports the story rather than overshadows it. The strongest entries balance creativity, technology, and narrative. For me, the most exciting part is seeing corporate films evolve into works that are culturally relevant, emotionally engaging, and artistically ambitious — not just informative.

Q: In your view, what distinguishes a good entry from an award-winning one?

A good entry communicates its message clearly. An award-winning entry makes you feel something and stays with you.

For me, the difference often comes down to the strength of the idea and the quality of the storytelling. Is there a clear and original creative vision? Does the film have a narrative that carries the audience from beginning to end? Does it create an emotional or intellectual connection?

I also look for authenticity. The film should feel true to the organization and its people rather than simply trying to impress the jury. Strong cinematography, sound design, editing and production values are important, but they should all serve the central idea. Ultimately, an award-winning film creates a connection. It gives you a reason to care, think or remember. And when you finish watching it, you know that you have experienced something rather than simply consumed information.

Q: What does a corporate film need to have for it to stay in your mind long after the judging is over?

For me, it needs to have a soul — and perhaps because I come from a journalism background, what moves me most is truth and authenticity. After watching hundreds of films, what stays with me is rarely a slogan, a statistic or even the most impressive production value. It is the content. It is discovering a real human story from a part of the world I may know very little about, meeting people whose lives and experiences are completely different from my own, and suddenly finding something deeply universal in their story.

I am always drawn to films that feel natural and honest. When people are not simply performing for the camera, but allowing us to see something real about themselves, the film becomes much more powerful. I think audiences can sense that difference.

For me, a memorable corporate film is one where the story, the people and the emotion come before the corporate message. It might introduce me to an unfamiliar geography, a different culture, an extraordinary achievement or an ordinary person with an extraordinary story. What matters is that it makes me feel something and gives me a perspective I did not have before.

And sometimes, the most powerful films are not the ones that try hardest to impress you. They are the ones that quietly leave a feeling behind. That is what stays with me long after the judging is over: not simply what I watched, but what I felt — and the human story I continue to think about afterward.

Q: As a jury member, what do you believe is the true value of awards, and why are platforms like the Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards important for the industry?

I believe the true value of an award is recognition — but meaningful recognition.

In an industry where so much content is produced every day, awards create an opportunity to pause and acknowledge creativity, originality and excellence. They give talented filmmakers, producers and creative teams the visibility they deserve and encourage organizations to invest in better storytelling.

For me, the value of platforms like the Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards also lies in bringing together an international community. As a jury member, I have the privilege of seeing work from different countries, cultures and industries, and that exchange of perspectives is incredibly valuable.

The Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards provide a space where corporate and branded storytelling can be taken seriously as a creative discipline. They remind the industry that communication films are not simply tools for promotion; at their best, they are powerful forms of storytelling that can inform, inspire and create meaningful connections.

Ultimately, I think awards should not only celebrate what has already been achieved. They should also encourage the industry to be more courageous, more creative and more ambitious in the stories it chooses to tell next.