‘Maria’ featuring Jolie, Bilginer to screen ahead of release at festival

ISTANBUL

The highly anticipated “Maria,” starring Angelina Jolie as opera legend Maria Callas and featuring renowned Turkish actor Haluk Bilginer, will be showcased at the upcoming “11! Bir Film Hadisesi” festival.

Film enthusiasts will have the rare chance to watch the movie ahead of its official release.

Organized by Bir Film, the festival will run from Jan. 2 to 5, 2025, and will take place across Istanbul, Ankara, İzmir and Eskişehir.

The festival also features an impressive selection of award-winning and critically acclaimed films, including: “Lee” (2023), directed by Ellen Kuras and starring Golden Globe nominee Kate Winslet; Nicole Kidman and Halina Reijn’s “Babygirl” (2024); “Seed of the Sacred Fig” (2024) by Mohammad Rasoulof, a Cannes Jury Special Prize winner; and “The Most Precious of Cargos” (2024), which premiered at Cannes.

The films will be screened at prominent locations in each city.

The venues in Istanbul include Beyoğlu Atlas 1948, Nişantaşı City’s Cinewam and Mecidiyeköy Torun Center.

Kızılay Büyülu Fener and Bahçelievler Büyülü Fener cinemas will screen the films in Ankara.

Screenings will take place in İzmir’s Karaca Cinema and İstinye Park Cine Renk and in Eskişehir Cinetime Özdilek.

Tickets are available on Biletinial, offering audiences the chance to view the celebrated films ahead of their general release.