Istanbul International Film Festival 2010
The International Istanbul Film Festival kicked off Friday night, bringing together more than 200 films from 57 countries.
This year, through April 18, The eagerly awaited 29th festival will host more than 200 films in 23 categories, screening new features from 2009 and 2010 along with unforgettable classics and works by master filmmakers. The festival will bring a truly carnival atmosphere to the city for two weeks with new categories, famous guests, workshops and panel discussions with masters of film, film seminars and parties.
With “Bridges Europe-Turkey”, European Film Promotion (EFP) will be launching a new programme at the 29th edition of the Istanbul International Film Festival (April 3-18, 2010). The festival, in close cooperation with EFP, will highlight and present 10 current European and 12 Turkish productions of up-and-coming directors.
Apart from the aim of raising public awareness for the selected films in this year’s European Capital of Culture, the idea is to facilitate and improve the films´ distribution beyond their borders. Key European distributors will be invited to Istanbul to see the newest in Turkish fare; at the same time, the Turkish industry will have the chance to watch new and exciting European cinema with festival audiences. In addition, special industry screenings will take place in the presence of the invited professionals. “Bridges Europe – Turkey” is financially supported by the MEDIA International programme of the European Union, the participating EFP members and the Istanbul European Capital of Culture programme.
10 European films have been selected for “Bridges Europe – Turkey”, among others, the acclaimed Nothing Personal by Urszula Antoniak, starring this year’s SHOOTING STAR from The Netherlands, Lotte Verbeek. Nothing Personal is a coproduction between Macdara Kelleher of Fastnet Films (Ireland) and Reinier Selen of Rinkel Film & TV Productions (The Netherlands) realized after they participated in EFP´s programme PRODUCERS ON THE MOVE 2008 in Cannes.
Also selected for “Bridges Europe – Turkey”, has been the European coproduction (Bosnia – Herzegovina, Croatia, Austria, Germany) On the Path (Na Putu) by Jasmila Zbanic, which has been screened in this year´s Berlinale Cpmpetition. The film sees Zrinka Cvitesic, Croatian SHOOTING STAR 2010, as main cast.
The 12 selected Turkish films include Bornova Bornova, winner of the Best Screenplay Award at the SIYAD (Turkish Cinema Critics Association) Awards in 2010. Winning several awards with Made in Europe in 2008, director İnan Temelkuran’s second feature film Bornova Bornova is set in the director’s hometown İzmir, and is about unemployment and its effects. The latest film Taylan Brothers have directed, Vavien, is a noir comedy that delicately tells the story of a small town family.
In 2010, the Istanbul International Film Festival screens 170 international films, with 111 originating from Europe. The festival seeks primarily to encourage the development of cinema in Turkey and to promote films of quality in the Turkish market. Selected international films compete for the Golden Tulip Award.
The International Istanbul Film Festival was first held in 1982 and has grown to become one of the biggest film festivals in the country, attracting thousands of visitors each year.
For detailed information on the 29th International Istanbul Film Festival visit: www.iksv.org/film
