!f Competition seeks inspired emerging directors

ISTANBUL

‘Blue Wave’ is one of the films in the !f Inspired competition in Istanbul.

!f Inspired, the competition section of !f Istanbul International Independent Film Festival, continues to showcase the most interesting emerging directors in world cinema. Featuring only directors’ first or second films, !f Inspired brings together nine films from Germany, France, Morocco, Iraq, England, Iran, Switzerland, Norway, Serbia and Turkey. The award carries a $15,000 prize. 

Films in the competition include: Ramon Zürcher’s highly celebrated film at festivals “The Strange Little Cat,” British directors Stephanie Spray and Pacho Velez’s “Golden Leopard for Filmmakers of the Present” winner at Locarno, “Manakamana,” Clio Barnard’s Label Europa Cinemas award winner film at Cannes and Best Film winner at both London and Stockholm, “The Selfish Giant,” the film that brought Persian director Shahram Mokri his Special Orizzonti Award for Innovative Content at Venice, “Fish&Cat,” Iraq-born director Hisham Zaman’s Tribecca award winner that starts in Northern Kurdistan and visits Istanbul, “Before Snowfall,” Abdellah Taia’s poetic and courageous telling of a gay boy’s upbringing in a Arabic society, “Salvation Army,” Narimane Mari’s winner of Best Documentary at CPH:DOX, “Bloody Beans,” Serbian director Mina Djukic’s impressive maturation story, “The Disobedient,” and Zeynep Dadak and Merve Kayak’s film that won Best Debut Film, Best Screenplay and Best Original Script awards at the Golden Orange Festival, “Blue Wave.”

The international jury includes Turkish actor Mehmet Günsur. The films in the !f Inspired section will also be evaluated by a jury of Cinema Writers Foundation (SİYAD), Burçin Yalçın, Cem Altınsaray and Müge Turan, who will give the SİYAD Award to a single film.