Short films come to screen at İzmir festival

ISTANBUL

The International İzmir Short Film Festival begins kicked off in the western Turkish province of İzmir on Nov. 7.

The festival will screen 400 films from 42 different countries for film lovers through Nov. 12. Along with special film selections, the festival will also host workshops, exhibitions and events.

Actress Deniz Çakır, who will serve in the festival’s National Competition jury this year and will also meet with festivalgoers in a talk during the festival.

The festival will host a special screening of Luis González’s feature film “The Turkish Way” at the French Cultural Center in İzmir. The documentary tells the story of three chiefs from the El Celler de Can Roca, selected as the best restaurant in the world in 2015, who begin a gastronomic journey from Argentina and travel to Turkey. 

The “Portraits from Turkish Cinema” photograph exhibition, featuring the work of Mehmet Koştumoğlu, can be visited at the Buca Municipality Culture Center as part of the festival.

The exhibition includes 200 portraits featuring the greatest names of the Turkish cinema history such as Tarik Akan, Müjde Ar, Münir Özkul, Tuncel Kurtiz, Müjdat Gezen, Ediz Hun, Ömer Lütfi Akad, Hale Soygazi, Perihan Savaş and Şener Şen.

Short films from around the world will be competing for the Golden Cat Awards at the festival, including awards in the national category for the Best Fiction Film, Best Documentary, Best Experimental Film, Best Animation, Best Newcomer, and Best Cinematographer. Runners up in the international and national competitions will also be awarded.

Films are being shown for the festival free of charge at the Institut Français, the İzmir Art in Culture Park, the Buca Municipality Tarık Akan Youth Center, and at participating universities’ halls.