The 45th Istanbul Film Festival from IKSV returns this year from Thursday 9 April through Sunday 19 April 2026, with screenings taking place across multiple cinemas and cultural venues throughout Istanbul. This year’s program brings together a broad international lineup spanning new festival premieres, politically engaged dramas, experimental works, documentaries, and restored classics.
Among the notable titles in the selection are Olivier Assayas’s political drama The Wizard of the Kremlin, starring Jude Law as Vladimir Putin; Ildikó Enyedi’s reflective multi-era drama Silent Friend; Gianfranco Rosi’s documentary portrait of Naples and the Vesuvius region Pompei: Below the Clouds; and Mike Figgis’s behind-the-scenes documentary Megadoc, chronicling Francis Ford Coppola’s decades-long effort to bring Megalopolis to the screen. The program also includes striking international discoveries such as Imran Perretta’s black-and-white coming-of-age drama Ish, Nikola Ležaić’s autobiographical road film How Come It’s All Green Out Here?, and Stillz’s Medellín-set found-footage drama Barrio Triste, alongside restored classics like Metin Erksan’s Acı Hayat and iconic Istanbul-set productions including From Russia with Love and Tintin and the Mystery of the Golden Fleece. A full program can be found via the official site.
Some of this year’s highlights include:
Sunfish (& Other Stories on Green Lake) (2025)
Director: Sierra Falconer
Language: English
Subtitles: Turkish
Set around the quiet shoreline of Michigan’s Green Lake, Sunfish (& Other Stories on Green Lake) is a gentle ensemble drama that follows several interconnected lives during a transformative summer. A young girl learns to sail for the first time, a school musician struggles to earn the coveted first violin position, two sisters running a small guesthouse navigate new friendships, and a fisherman forms an unexpected bond with a young woman.
Drawing inspiration from director Sierra Falconer’s own childhood memories, the film unfolds in episodic chapters that capture the subtle emotional rhythms of lakeside life. Falconer’s debut feature embraces a contemplative tone, focusing on fleeting moments and understated human connections rather than traditional plot mechanics. Premiering at Sundance and produced with the support of filmmaker Joanna Hogg, the film has already been recognized as one of the most anticipated independent titles of 2025.
Ish (2025)
Director: Imran Perretta
Language: English
Subtitles: Turkish
Shot in stark black and white, Ish tells the story of two inseparable twelve-year-old friends navigating the fragile border between childhood innocence and the pressures of adulthood. Ish and Maram spend their days escaping into games and small adventures, but the wider realities surrounding them gradually intrude upon their carefree world.
As tensions build and their environment grows more uncertain, the boys are forced to confront fears and questions far beyond their years. Inspired by the poetic realism of filmmakers like Satyajit Ray and Vittorio De Sica, director Imran Perretta crafts a quiet yet powerful coming-of-age drama about friendship, alienation, and the moment when childhood abruptly fades. The film premiered in the Critics’ Week section of the Venice Film Festival, where it received the Audience Award.
Kako je ovde tako zeleno? (How Come It’s All Green Out Here?) (2025)
Director: Nikola Ležaić
Language: Serbian
Subtitles: Turkish and English
In this reflective road movie, filmmaker Nikola learns that the body of his late grandmother, once a refugee, may finally be returned to her ancestral village in Dalmatia. Accompanied by his father, he sets out on a long journey from Serbia in a converted van toward a place he has not seen in more than two decades.
As they travel through landscapes filled with memory and history, the journey becomes a meditation on family, generational identity, and the uncertain reliability of recollection itself. Mixing autobiographical elements with fictional storytelling, Nikola Ležaić’s film explores how personal and collective histories intertwine. The film premiered in the main competition at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and received the Intercultural Understanding Award at the Cottbus Film Festival.
Der Heimatlose (Trial of Hein) (2026)
Director: Kai Stänicke
Language: German
Subtitles: Turkish and English
After fourteen years away, Hein returns to the remote island village where he grew up. Instead of a warm welcome, he is met with confusion: the villagers insist they have never seen him before. In order to determine whether the man truly is who he claims to be, the tightly knit community convenes a village tribunal.
As testimonies unfold, contradictions begin to emerge between Hein’s memories and the accounts of those who supposedly knew him. The resulting investigation becomes a philosophical mystery about identity, memory, and the fragile nature of truth. Opening the Perspectives section at the Berlin Film Festival, Kai Stänicke’s film blends psychological drama with elements of allegory and courtroom tension.
Beachcomber (2025)
Director: Aristotelis Maragkos
Language: Greek
Subtitles: Turkish and English
In Beachcomber, Elias dreams of building a boat capable of returning him to the sea, despite having little more than scrap materials and fading hope. Living under the shadow of his seafaring father’s legacy, he spends his days constructing the vessel on a quiet shoreline, convinced it will one day carry him toward a better life.
Yet as the fragile structure begins to collapse, Elias must confront the illusions he has built around himself. Drawing inspiration from the works of Greek poet and sailor Nikos Kavvadias, director Aristotelis Maragkos creates a visually striking meditation on ambition, failure, and the search for personal meaning. The film premiered at BAFICI in Buenos Aires and later won the Silver Alexander Award for Best Cinematography at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival.
Acı Hayat (Bitter Life) (1962)
Director: Metin Erksan
Language: Turkish
Subtitles: English
A cornerstone of Turkish cinema, Acı Hayat returns to the big screen in a newly restored version. Directed by the influential filmmaker Metin Erksan, the film blends classic melodrama with sharp social critique.
The story follows Mehmet, a poor welder deeply in love with Nermin, a manicurist who dreams of escaping poverty. When Nermin leaves him in pursuit of wealth and status, Mehmet’s life takes a dramatic turn after he unexpectedly becomes rich through a lottery win. What follows is a tragic tale of love, ambition, and revenge set against the backdrop of Istanbul’s rapidly changing social landscape.
The film also marked a significant early triumph for Turkish cinema icon Türkan Şoray, who won Best Actress at the inaugural Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival for her performance.
Tintin et le mystère de la Toison d’Or (Tintin and the Mystery of the Golden Fleece) (1961)
Director: Jean-Jacques Vierne
Language: French, Turkish, Greek
Subtitles: Turkish and English
One of the earliest live-action adaptations of the beloved comic hero Tintin, this adventurous film sends the young reporter and his loyal dog Snowy on a journey to Istanbul. Tintin accompanies Captain Haddock to claim an old ship inherited from a relative, but the seemingly simple task quickly turns into a dangerous mystery.
Soon they realize that the inheritance is tied to a hidden conspiracy involving smugglers and treasure hunters. Filmed partly on location, the movie offers a fascinating cinematic snapshot of Istanbul in the early 1960s, blending European adventure storytelling with exotic intrigue.
From Russia with Love (1963)
Director: Terence Young
Language: English
Subtitles: Turkish
Widely considered one of the finest entries in the James Bond franchise, From Russia with Love was the second film to feature Sean Connery as the iconic British spy created by Ian Fleming.
In the story, Bond travels to Istanbul to retrieve a powerful Soviet cryptographic device known as the Lektor from a defector. Unbeknownst to him, the operation is actually an elaborate trap designed by the criminal organization SPECTRE to provoke conflict between global superpowers. Featuring memorable scenes shot across Istanbul, the film combines Cold War intrigue with stylish espionage and remains one of the most celebrated early Bond adventures.
Le Mage du Kremlin (The Wizard of the Kremlin) (2025)
Director: Olivier Assayas
Language: English
Subtitles: Turkish
Based on the bestselling novel by Giuliano da Empoli, The Wizard of the Kremlin offers a fictionalized look at the political machinery surrounding Vladimir Putin’s rise to power. The story centers on Vadim Baranov, a former theater producer who transitions into television before becoming a key strategist within the Kremlin.
As Putin consolidates his authority in post-Soviet Russia, Baranov emerges as a master manipulator operating behind the scenes. Through his perspective, the film examines the blurred boundaries between propaganda, power, and political mythmaking. Directed by Olivier Assayas and starring Jude Law as Putin, the film premiered at the Venice Film Festival.
Sotto le nuvole (Pompei: Below the Clouds) (2025)
Director: Gianfranco Rosi
Language: Italian, Arabic, Japanese, Neapolitan, English
Subtitles: Turkish and English
Documentary filmmaker Gianfranco Rosi explores the region surrounding Mount Vesuvius in this immersive portrait of Naples and its surrounding communities. Filmed over three years, the documentary observes everyday life unfolding in the shadow of the volcano.
Teachers run small education programs, archaeologists continue long-term excavations, port workers unload cargo ships, and police patrol ancient ruins threatened by looters. Rather than focusing on a single narrative, the film weaves together fragments of contemporary life with traces of ancient history, portraying the region as a living archive shaped by centuries of human presence. The film received the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival.
Silent Friend (2025)
Director: Ildikó Enyedi
Language: German and English
Subtitles: Turkish and English
At the center of Silent Friend stands an ancient ginkgo tree located in a university botanical garden in Germany. Over the decades, the tree silently witnesses the lives of several individuals whose stories unfold across different eras.
A young woman studying photography in 1908 seeks to capture hidden patterns in nature. In 1972, a student undergoes a personal transformation through quiet observation of plant life. Decades later, a neuroscientist from Hong Kong arrives to study infant cognition at the same institution. Through these intersecting timelines, director Ildikó Enyedi crafts a contemplative film about curiosity, knowledge, and humanity’s relationship with the natural world.
Barrio Triste (2025)
Director: Stillz
Language: Spanish
Subtitles: Turkish and English
Set in Medellín in 1987, Barrio Triste follows a group of marginalized teenagers who steal a television news camera and begin documenting their lives. What starts as playful experimentation gradually becomes an intense chronicle of their reality as they record everything around them.
Presented entirely through these stolen recordings, the film blends found-footage aesthetics with a coming-of-age story shaped by violence, dreams, and youthful rebellion. Directed by acclaimed photographer and music-video director Stillz, the film combines striking visuals with an atmospheric soundtrack by Arca. It premiered in the Horizons section of the Venice Film Festival.
Megadoc (2025)
Director: Mike Figgis
Language: English
Subtitles: Turkish
Veteran filmmaker Mike Figgis offers a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Francis Ford Coppola’s ambitious epic Megalopolis. The documentary follows Coppola’s decades-long struggle to bring the project to life, including the extraordinary decision to finance the film largely with his own money.
Featuring unprecedented access to Coppola’s archives and production process, Megadoc includes interviews and footage from actors and collaborators such as Adam Driver, Aubrey Plaza, Dustin Hoffman, and Robert De Niro. The film captures the scale of Coppola’s vision while documenting the personal and financial risks involved in pursuing such an ambitious cinematic dream.
—
To stay updated on the the 45th Istanbul Film Festival from IKSV, be sure to check their official website and follow them on Instagram. A full program can be found here.
