Storytelling accompanied by music had erudite advices, imitations, witty, rhymed verses, historically mindful, inventive and usually includes fantasy figures.

The earliest surviving film made in what is present-day Turkey was a documentary entitled Ayastefanos'taki Rus Abidesinin Yıkılışı (Demolition of the Russian Monument at San Stefano), directed by Fuat Uzkınay and completed in 1914.

Western storytelling drama format evolved, After Darülbedayi (1914) in Ottoman Empire and Ankara State Conservatory (1936) in Turkey.

Attempts at film production came primarily from multinational studios, which could rely on their comprehensive distribution networks together with their own theatre chains, thus guaranteeing them a return on their investment.

After the year 2000, annual ticket sales rose to 20 million and since 1995, the number of theatres has steadily increased to approximately 500 nationwide.

However, it is difficult to speak about the existence of an industry, since most films are rather individual projects of directors who otherwise earn their living in television, advertising or theatre.

The influence of the theater dating back to Uzkınay, Simavi, Ahmet Fehim and Şadi Karagözoğlu is very strong in Ertuğrul's work.

One example here being the establishment of the Marmara Dubbing Studio in the early 1930s, when the silent era came to an end in the West and sound films became the standard, prompting the import-dependent companies to adjust themselves to the new technological requirements.

After 1965, a so-called "Combined System" (Kombine Sistem) led by a trust of regional leaders is said to have taken control of almost everything regarding production.

[22] A leading figure of the trust was producer Türker İnanoğlu, who is still active in the media business today, running Ulusal Film, which was Turkey's largest TV production company.

Weinberg was already a prominent figure at that time, especially known as a representative of foreign companies such as Pathé, for whom he sold gramophones before getting into the film business.

The first thematic films in Ottoman Empire were The Marriage of Himmet Aga (1916–1918), started by Weinberg and completed by Uzkinay, and The Paw (1917) and The Spy (1917), both by Sedat Simavi.

The years between 1939 and 1950 were a period of transition for Turkish cinema, during which it was greatly influenced by theater as well as by World War II.

Yeşilçam ("Green Pine") is a metonym for the Turkish film industry, similar to Hollywood in the United States.

Ömer Lütfi Akad strongly influenced the period, but Ertem Eğilmez, Osman Fahir Seden, Atıf Yılmaz, and Memduh Ün made the most films.

Well-known directors of the 1960–1970 period include Metin Erksan, Atıf Yılmaz, Memduh Ün, Halit Refiğ, Duygu Sağıroğlu, Remzi Aydın Jöntürk and Nevzat Pesen.

Turkish cinema gave birth to its legendary stars during this period, notable examples being Kemal Sunal, Kadir İnanır, Türkan Şoray and Şener Şen.

[28] Yeşilçam's actresses featured included Emel Sayın, Adile Naşit, Zerrin Egeliler, Itır Esen, Filiz Akın, Fatma Girik, Hülya Koçyiğit, Gülşen Bubikoğlu, Türkan Şoray, Belgin Doruk, Hülya Avşar, Oya Aydoğan, Perihan Savaş, Necla Nazır, Çolpan İlhan, Ayşen Gruda, Nevra Serezli, Müjde Ar, Perran Kutman and Yeşilçam actors are Tarık Akan, Şener Şen, Cüneyt Arkın, Göksel Arsoy, Kemal Sunal, Kadir İnanır, Müşfik Kenter, Münir Özkul, Halit Akçatepe, Hulusi Kentmen, Zeki Alasya, Metin Akpınar, Ediz Hun, Kartal Tibet, Ayhan Işık, Sadri Alışık, Zeki Müren, Ekrem Bora, Metin Serezli, Hüseyin Peyda, Ahmet Mekin, Tamer Yiğit, Kenan Pars, Rüştü Asyalı, Kamran Usluer, Erol Taş, Önder Somer, Müjdat Gezen, Salih Güney, Sertan Acar, Yılmaz Güney, Orhan Gencebay.

However, Yeşilçam has seen a revival since 2002, having produced critically acclaimed movies such as Uzak (Grand Prix (Cannes Film Festival), 2003), Babam ve Oğlum (My Father and My Son) and Propaganda.

Some of the notable examples of this era are Eşkıya (The Bandit) and Züğürt Ağa (The Agha), both starring Şener Şen.

The film was directed, written, and starred by Yılmaz Erdoğan, who was already well known from his long-running sitcom Bir Demet Tiyatro, and his dedication to theatre.

The movie starred the cast of his usual plays, most notably Demet Akbağ, Altan Erkekli, and Cem Yılmaz.

Since then, larger-budgeted films have been produced, including notable examples such as Kurtlar Vadisi: Irak (Valley of the Wolves: Iraq), which was viewed by a record 4 million people, Babam ve Oğlum (My Father and My Son), and Cem Yılmaz's second movie Hokkabaz (The Magician) .

Ayhan Işık and Sadri Alışık graduated from picture department of Fine Art State Academy.

[40][41] Levent Kırca and his wife Oya Başar wrote, played, produced in long-running sketches, Olacak O Kadar (1988–2010).

[52] After female pioneer comedy actresses Adile Naşit, Ayşen Gruda, Perran Kutman, Oya Başar, Demet Akbağ.

While films have generally been treated as goods subject to laws regarding taxation, content-wise they were controlled by commissions that have been often criticized for being mechanisms of censorship.

Onaran himself being active as a member of the Film Rating Commission in his younger years, was a true expert on the topic, and his research also includes examples of the late Ottoman Period.

A very interesting example on the level of absurdity that censorship could reach is mentioned in Çetin Yetkin's book Siyasal Iktidar Sanata Karşı (Political Regime vs Art), published in 1970.

The film-owner, who applied to the committee for an export certificate, was surprised to see the decision because he mentioned on his application form that his intention was to sell a copy of the film to a distributor in the Soviet Union, the world's leading communist country at that time.