(AA) – Turkey’s premier film festival said Tuesday that this year’s offering would feature more than 200 films by 222 directors from 62 countries.Organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts, the 34th Istanbul Film Festival will be held between April 4 and 19.
Cinema-lovers will have the chance to see classics, award-winning films of world cinema as well as the latest offerings from the Turkish film industry.
“There will also be free talks and workshops by renowned filmmakers, master classes, and other special events within the scope of the festival,” said organizers.
This year’s festival program consists of films premiered at the Sundance and Berlin Film Festivals and will have new sections including: Balkans: Cinema of Flames; Family Ties; and German animation.
The festival will also screen the entire filmography by leading figure of New Argentina cinema, Lisandro Alonso, for the first time in Turkey.
Speaking on Tuesday, festival director Azize Tan said that this year’s event would also commemorate prominent Turkish writer Onat Kutlar (1936-1995) who was one of the festival’s founders. The 1963 classic “Il Gattopardo” (The Leopard) by Luchino Visconti will be screened in Kutlar’s memory.
According to organizers, among this year’s guests will be Iranian director Bahman Ghobadi, Danish filmmaker Lone Scherfig, Italian director Ducco Chiarini and Norway-based Kurdish director Hisham Zaman.
Istanbul Film Festival will also recognize successful industry members with the Golden Tulip Awards. In the International Golden Tulip Competition 12 films will vie for a 25,000-euro ($27,000) prize.
In the National Golden Tulip Competition 11 films are up for awards of up to 150,000 Turkish liras ($57,000).
Screenings will take place at the Atlas, Beyoglu movie theatre and the Institut Francais in central Istanbul. Movies will also be shown at Feriye Theater in Istanbul’s European-side district of Ortakoy as well as the Rexx cinema on the Anatolian side of Istanbul.
Festival tickets will be on sale from Saturday March 28 online as well as at main box offices the Atlas and Rexx.
Ticket prices vary between 5-20 Turkish liras.
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-International Golden Tulip Competition Films:
Realite / Reality – Quentin Dupieux
Neden Tarkovsky Olamiyorum / Why Can’t I Be Tarkovsky – Murat Duzgunoglu
Huang jin shi dai / The Golden Era – Ann Hui
Vie Sauvage / Wild Life – Cedric Kahn
Biraninen li ser keviri / Memories On Stone – Shawkat Amin Korki
Itsi Bitsi – Ole Christian Madsen
Zvezda / Star – Anna Melikyan
Anime Nere / Black Souls – Francesco Munzi
Phoenix – Christian Petzold
Listen Up Philip – Alex Ross Perry
Far From The Madding Crowd – Thomas Vinterberg
Vonarstræti / Life in a Fishbowl – Baldvin Zophoniasson
