Venetian Film fest hosts Turkish films

ROME - Anatolia News Agency

‘Araf,’ directed by Yeşim Ustaoğlu (above) and co-produced in Turkey, Germany, and France, seek for an award under the English title ‘Somewhere in Between.’

This year’s program of one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world, the Venice Film Festival, has been announced. Organized as part of the Venetian Biennial, the festival is anticipated with a great excitement and will take place on the Lido Peninsula in Venice between the dates of Aug. 29 to Sept. 8.

The Indian director Mira Nair’s film “The Reluctant Fundamentalist,” starring Riz Ahmed, Kate Hudson, Kiefer Sutherland and Liev Screiber, will open the festival, and the chairman of the jury will be the American director Michael Mann.

Among the 17 films to compete for the festival’s “Golden Lion” prize are: “Apres Mai” by director Olivier Assayas, “At Any Price” by Ramin Bahrani, “Bella Addormentata” by Marco Bellocchio, “Le Cinquieme Saison” by Peter Brosens and Jessica Woodworth, “Lemale Et Ha’Chlal” (Fill the Void) by Rama Burshtein, “E stato il figlio” by Daniele Cipri, “Un giorno speciale” by Francesca Comencini, “Passion” by Brian de Palma, and a number of other movies.

Under the title of “New movements in world cinema,” a Turkish film takes place in the festival’s “Orrizonti” (meaning “horizons”) category. “Araf,” scripted and directed by Yeşim Ustaoğlu and co-produced in Turkey, Germany, and France, will seek for an award under the English title “Somewhere in Between.” The film’s leading actors are Neslihan Atagül, Özcan Deniz and Barış Hacıhan. ,

Turkish movie ‘Mold’ on screen

Another Turkish film set to be shown is “Küf” (Mold) by the director Ali Aydın. The Turkish-German produced film will be shown as part of the “International Film Critics Week,” and will receive its world premiere at the festival. Ercan Kesal, Muhammet Uzuner, and Tansu Biçer play the starring roles in Aydın’s first full length film.

A total of 24 films are going to be presented in the “out of competition” category. Here are the 17 other films competing as listed by organisers: “Something in the Air”, directed by Olivier Assayas, France “At Any Price”, Ramin Bahrani, United States/Britain “Dormant Beauty”, Marco Bellocchio, Italy/France “The Fifth Season”, Jessica Woodworth.