The Festival Commenced with a Grand Opening Ceremony
The 38th Istanbul Film Festival organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) commenced with an opening ceremony held at UNIQ Istanbul on the night of Thursday, 4 April. In addition to the prominent names in Turkish cinema, actors Thomas Solivérès and Lucie Boujenah, from the opening film Edmond, were also in attendance.
Along with Cinema Awards for filmmakers, gratitude plaques were presented to the institutions and organisations for their contributions to the festival during the ceremony hosted by Cem Davran.
For more details from the ceremony: http://film.iksv.org/en
Cinema Awards
The Festival’s Cinema Awards, given to individuals for their devotion and contributions to the art of cinema, were presented to the esteemed recipients.
Academic and one of the founding members of Turkish Cinemateque Association, Jak Şalom,who has been an ardent proponent of film culture and cinematic memory, received this year’s Outstanding Contribution to Cinema Award, which was presented by Hülya Uçansu, the co-founder and former director of the Istanbul Film Festival. Actor and producer Göksel Arsoy, known as the Golden Boy of Turkish cinema, was the night’s first recipient of the Cinema Honorary Award, presented by actress Suzan Avcı, who was a recipient in 2016. The second Cinema Honorary Award was presented by actress Nurgül Yeşilçay to Selda Alkor, who has portrayed tough women in close to 100 films and TV series in her career which began in 1965.This year’s Lifetime Achievement Award was presented by actor Kadir Inanirto Şerif Gören, who has started his career in 1962 as an editor before transitioning to directing and becoming a filmmaker,who brings social conflicts and transformations, as well as cultural and economic issues to the silver screen, and eventually winning a Palm D’or for his film Yol.
For photos from the opening ceremony: http://www.iksvphoto.com/#/album/8d337t
The Festival to Host Guests from Around the World
Directors Lynne Ramsay, Philippe Lesage, Nadav Lapid, and Ali Abbasi and actors Moe Dunford, and Félix Maritaudwill be among the many international guests of the 38th edition of the festival. Lynne Ramsay, the president of the International Competition jury, will be giving a festival talk at Bogaziçi University on Thursday, 11 April. Other festival talks include Ümit Ünal, the president of the National Competition jury, on Saturday, 13 April and jury member and cinematographer Andreas Sinanos on Monday, 15 April at Yapı Kredi Culture Centre.
For the events calendar click here.
Mined Zone Unlike Ever Before!
Mined Zone, one of the hotly-anticipated sections of the festival, now features films full of thrills, suspense, murder and mystery. With a selection of edgy films that are notable for their unique technical and narrative styles and atmospherics full of mystery, suspense, and gore, this section is geared towards cinephiles who are looking for genuine thrills.
The standouts of this year’s Mined Zone include The Wind, a mash-up of western and horror genres with a dose of supernatural, The Dig, a family drama with central mystery, starring International Competition jury member Moe Dunford of Vikings, and The Miracle of the Sargasso Sea, an unsettling thriller hailed as a “Lynchian psychological drama” at the Berlinale.
For a special Mind Zone section video click here.
For the list of films in Mined Zone click here.
Meetings on the Bridge Talk Series Starts Today
The talk series which focuses on production and screening stories, documentaries that travel the world, changing TV platforms and viewer demands, the most brilliant production mistakes, funds, meeting sessions for markets and festivals, and gender equality in cinema will take place between 5 and 12 April.
Please make reservations for the screenings and talks that will take place at Yapı Kredi Culture Centre-Lodge and Soho House Istanbul.
For a detailed program see attached or visit Meetings on the Bridge Film Talks
For registration, e-mail aybuke.avci@iksv.org
Daily Film Selection:
Breathe | 13.30 | Cinemaximum Zorlu Center
Divine Love | 19.00 | Rexx movie theatre
Daily Documentary Selection:
Memory | 19.00 | Cinemaximum Zorlu Center
Monrovia, Indiana | 21.30 | Pera Museum Auditorium
Festival in Photos
See daily photos from the festival at http://www.iksvphoto.com/#/folder/aa602o and on our Instagram account.
Images courtesy of IKSV.
