Istanbul Film Festival on big screen in April
ISTANBUL
The Istanbul Film Festival is ready for its 43rd edition between April 17 and 28, bringing together acclaimed and award-winning films from the Türkiye and world cinema, as well as special screenings, stars and master filmmakers. Festival tickets are on sale as of today.
Organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV) The 43rd Istanbul Film Festival presents a substantial program of 132 feature and 12 short films, which comprises the most recent productions of the world cinema, cult titles and the latest films of master directors and young talents.
This year the Cinema Honorary Awards, presented to those who devoted their hearts and efforts to the cinema, will be presented to renowned actress Meral Orhonsay and versatile filmmaker Engin Ayça. The awards will be presented at the opening ceremony of the event on April 16.
Esteemed director Wim Wenders will come to Istanbul for the first time as the festival’s guest of honor. The festival will feature three films of Wenders: His final film “Anselm,” which premiered at Cannes and explores the life and artistic journey of German artist Anselm Kiefer, “Alice in the Cities,” which will be screened from a restored copy on its 50th anniversary, and Japan's Oscar nominee “Perfect Days,” in which Kôji Yakusho stars and creates wonders. As part of the festival, Wenders will also meet audiences in a talk.
On the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Turkey, Kôji Yakusho will also come to Istanbul for the festival.
One of Japan’s most renowned and respected male actors, Yakusho shoulders the burden of every genre from yakuza films to romantic drama, and from action to comedy. He is in the festival program with four films that stand out in his filmography.
Festival audiences will watch Yakusho in “13 Assassins” (Takashi Miike), “Under the Open Sky” (Miwa Nishikawa), “Shall We Dansu” (Masayuki Suô), and “Perfect Days,” with which he won the Best Actor Award at the Cannes Film Festival.
Before the screenings, Wenders and Yakusho will both be awarded a Cinema Honorary Award by the festival.
The 43rd Istanbul Film Festival program includes films from under 15 different sections, including classics such as Best of the Fests, Young Masters, Mined Zone, Antidepressant, Where Are You, My Love? and No More Flowers.
Musicians, the section which brings together lovers of cinema and music is back with five films, including concert films by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Talking Heads, iconic figures who have left their mark on the history of music, as well as original stories of music lovers from different parts of the world.
The Spectre section will explore films that experiment with cinema’s new possibilities. This year's selection includes brand new films from the Berlin Film Festival, including the newest films by Lisandro Alonso and Hong Sang-soo, as well as Carlos Reygadas' restored cult film “Battle in Heaven.”
The Hungarian Rhapsodies section, devised on the occasion of the 2024 Hungarian-Turkish Cultural Year, brings together the most respected directors of Hungarian Cinema. Twelve features and a short film that span from 1966 to 2023, from drama to animation, from political to comedy, from young masters to auteurs will be screened within the scope of the section.
This year, moviegoers will be able to watch the 1987 film “My Dreams, My Love and You,” directed by Atıf Yılmaz, from the restored copy of Atlas Post Production.
The jury of the International Competition will be chaired by New Zealand actress Kerry Fox and comprises director Maryna Er Gorbach, editor Gladys Joujou, artistic director of Thessaloniki International Film Festival and Thessaloniki Documentary Festival Orestis Andreadakis, and film critic Guy Lodge.
The jury of the National Competition will be chaired by director, screenwriter and producer Aslı Özge and comprises actress Merve Dizdar, cinematographer Barış Aygen, artist Halil Altındere, and musician Ekin Fil.
In the National Competition, awards are handed out in 10 categories: Golden Tulip for Best Film, Special Jury Prize, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematographer, Best Editing, Best Art Direction, and Best Original Music.
The jury of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) will also present a FIPRESCI Prize to one film each from the National Competition.
This year Istanbul Film Festival’s films will be screened in six movie theatres: Atlas 1948 and Beyoğlu Sineması in Beyoğlu, CineWAM Premium+ City's Nişantaşı in Şişli, and Kadıköy Sineması and Kadıköy Belediyesi Sinematek / Sinema Evi in Kadıköy.