Crime, punishment films screened at International Crime and Punishment Film Festival

ISTANBUL

The 8th International Crime and Punishment Film Festival, organized by the Istanbul University Faculty of Law, will be held between Nov. 9 and Nov. 15. Films with the theme of “justice” will be screened at the festival. 

At a recent press event, the festival’s president Professor Adem Sözüer emphasized the importance of cinema for justice. 

Sözüer, who is also director of the Istanbul University Faculty of Law Penal Law and Criminology Research Center, said they saw serious problems in justice, crime and penal law everyday. 

“We see countless number of examples in all around the world about the misuse of criminal justice. In addition, developments in the criminalization policies of the states against the crimes committed are also very important. We thought these problems could best be discussed with cinema art. That is why we started the festival. Subjects that cannot be explained in university are covered at this year’s film festival,” he said. 

“Most of the films will not be released in Turkey again; they will be premiering in Istanbul,” said Professor Bengi Semerci, the festival’s program coordinator, adding that the films that competed in 2017 and 2018 international festivals would be shown in the festival. 

The festival will open on Nov. 8 at the Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall. The films will be shown at the Kadıköy Movie Theater and Beyoğlu Atlas Movie Theater. 

The honorary award of the festival will be presented to director Derviş Zaim, while the academic honorary award will be presented to academic and psychiatrist David Nutt. 

In addition, the festival’s Contribution to Cinema Award will be given to sound technician İsmail Karadaş and the founder of Sinematek, Jak Şalom.