Kadıköy Municipality’s Cinematheque hosts Istanbul Film Festival

The 41st Istanbul Film Festival, Turkey’s biggest international cinema event, opened on April 9, with Kadıköy Municipality’s Cinematheque/Cinema House being one of the movie theatres where the festival films are being screened.

The venue, which will host cinema lovers throughout the festival, will feature important programs, such as the collective screening of Sergio Leone, as well as Cinemania and World Festivals.

“Istanbul Film Festival is also the beginning of Cinematheque, founded by Onat Kutlar. In addition, Kutlar is among the founders of the Istanbul Film Festival. This year, the films of the 41st Istanbul Film Festival will be watched at the Cinematheque, which was reopened this year with the initiatives of Kadıköy Municipality, in its movie theatre named after Onat Kutlar. For us, the festival’s return to Onat Kutlar Movie Hall means the completion of a cycle. That’s why we are proud and excited,” Cinematheque /Cinema House Film Program Coordinator Senem Erdine said.

Speaking about the venue, Erdine said: “The first film club was established in Turkey in 1965 as the Turkish Cinematheque Association. It was an institution that made very important contributions to the development of film culture. It was closed down along with other associations in the 1980 military coup. With the initiative of Kadıköy Municipality, it was revived as a modern Cinematheque to meet the needs of this era. It was a project of three years. A new building was built for it. A movie theatre with very good screening conditions was built.

There is a 162-seat movie theatre and a movie library. This building opened in November last year.”

Stating that they will host the 41st International Istanbul Film Festival until April 19, Erdine said: “We are one of the venues of the Istanbul Film Festival this year. We will take a break from our own program during the screening of the festival. After the festival, our own program will continue. There will be five screenings a day during the Film Festival,” she said.

Other festival venues include Atlas Movie Theater, Beyoğlu Movie Theater, Cinewam City’s 3, Cinewam City’s 7 and Kadıköy Movie Theater.