!f Festival to award inspirational directors

ISTANBUL - Anadolu Agency

Next year’s !f İstanbul Independent Films Festival will award $15,000 to the most inspiring director, organizers of the annual film event have announced.

Open to first- and second-time directors from Turkey and around the world, !f !nspired aims to highlight films which push the boundaries of form and content in their own ways. The competition will be judged by a jury of prominent members from the international and Turkish film communities who will select the year’s most inspired director. The selected film will receive a $15,000 cash award. 

Noting that the !f Inspired competition reflects the general aim of the festivals, director Serra Ciliv said the !f !nspired Competition was designed to unearth and award emerging visions in cinema. Ciliv said the festival would be held between Feb. 13 and March 2, 2014, and that applications would be open until Nov. 29 this year. The festival events will also spread to Ankara and İzmir, in addition to Istanbul. “Those who would like to apply may apply in the long, short and documentary film categories,” she said. In addition, a jury of the Turkish Film Critics Association will also bestow a special jury award on one film.