The Istanbul International Film Festival (Turkish: Uluslararası İstanbul Film Festivali), hosted by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts, is Turkey’s first and oldest international film festival. It is held in Istanbul, Turkey, every year in April. According to its regulations, the festival aims to encourage the development of cinema in Turkey and to promote quality films in the Turkish cinema market.
The festival was first established in 1982 as a Film Week consisting of six films within the context of the International Istanbul Festival. At that time, the participating films were limited to the theme of Arts and Cinema so the event could remain within the wider International Istanbul Festival framework. In 1983, it continued under the title of Istanbul Film Days, taking place over a month during the festival.
Beginning in 1984, the event gained recognition as a separate operation and was moved to April. In 1985, the festival program included two competitive sections, one national and the other international. From 1987 onward, Cinema Honorary Awards also began to be presented.
With the large number of films screened and the consistency and flexibility of its program, the Istanbul International Film Days established its place among the world’s major film festivals in the years that followed.
In early 1989, the event was recognized by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations as “a competitive specialist festival.” For broader background, you can also check the festival overview on Wikipedia.
Istanbul Film Festival program
The selection and programming of festival films are carried out by the selection committee and the advisory committee. The program consists of an international competition open only to animation and animated films about art and artists or literary adaptations, a regional competition, and non-competitive thematic sections that may include documentaries, shorts, and feature films.
The 2008 program, which included 200 films, comprised the following sections:
- International Competition
- Turkish Cinema 2007-8
- National Competition
- Out of Competition
- Documentaries
- Festival Awards Screenings
- Special Screening: Turkish Classics Revisited
- Human Rights in Cinema
- Galas
- Challenging the Years
- From the World of Festivals
- Young Masters
- Documentary Time with NTV
- American Independents
- Mined Zone
- Midnight Madness
- Woman is Her Name
- From the Caucasus to the Mediterranean
- Medscreen Arab Film Promotion
- Kids’ Menu
- The World of Animation: Alexander Petrov
- ’68 and its Heritage
- Marc Caro: Lost in Illusions
- In Memoriam
- Nokia Series Short Film Competition
Awards at the festival
Istanbul International Film Festival awards include the following:
- Golden Tulip for the best film in the international competition
- Best Turkish Film of the Year
- Best Turkish Director of the Year
- Special Prize of the Jury
- Special Mention
- Best Actor and Best Actress in the national competition
- Honorary Award
- Lifetime Achievement Award
- FIPRESCI Prize in the national competition, in memory of Onat Kutlar, and in the international competition
- Film Award of the Council of Europe
- People’s Choice Award
Industry meetings and the Bridge
This year, the 15th, with the support of Anadolu Efes, the Bridge to be held between 15-16 April 2020 continues to bring together producers from Turkey and neighboring countries with directors, screenwriters, and international film professionals. Work in Progress aims to support feature films in post-production, while the documentary platform also supports selected projects through their first international presentation.
The directors and producers of the films selected for the workshop make special presentations open to professionals such as distributors, festival or fund managers, and TV channel representatives within the scope of meetings on the Bridge. At the end of the workshop, the international jury determines the films that receive awards.
Planning your time in Istanbul during the festival
If you are visiting the city during festival season, it can be rewarding to combine screenings with time in nearby neighborhoods and major landmarks. Depending on where your screenings take place, you may also want to explore Taksim Square, enjoy views from Galata Tower, or balance cinema days with a classic Bosphorus Cruise.
For general travel planning in Turkey, the official tourism portal at GoTürkiye can be useful. Since festival venues, dates, and ticketing details may vary by edition, it is always wise to check the official organizers’ current announcements before making plans.
