Films on democracy, coups to feature at Istanbul fest

By Saliha Ozdemir

ISTANBUL (AA) - The International Bosphorus Film Festival will see a number of films screened that take their inspiration from democracy and coups, the event’s president said Thursday.

Ogun Sanlier said the July 15 coup attempt had led festival organizers to agree to screen movies linked to coups that have taken place around the world and the struggle for democracy.

He did not say which films would be shown when then festival runs from Nov. 10 to 18 in Istanbul.

Speaking at a news conference in the city, Sanlier also stressed the importance of local scriptwriters contributing to produce works on issues such as the attempted coup and conflicts in Syria and Iraq.

Screenwriting instructor Robert McKee, who is famed for his Story Seminar lectures on the subject, will give a talk at the festival, Sanlier added.

This year, Turkish movies will be able to compete in the Feature Film category for the first time.

In the International Feature Film category, Marta Minorowicz’s Zud, Emma Rozanski’s Papagajka, Yerlan Nurmukhambetov’s Walnut Tree and Kaweh Modiri’s Bodkin Ras are among the competing films.

Reha Erdem’s Big, Big World, Dervis Zaim’s Dream, Mehmet Can Mertoglu’s Album and Umit Koreken’s Blue Bicycle are among those in the National Feature Film category.

Anadolu Agency is one of the main sponsors of the festival, which is organized by the Bogazici Cinema Association and the Istanbul Media Academy.

Last year’s festival boasted 11 premieres, including Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Journey to the Shore, Our Everyday Life, directed by Ines Tanovic and Andrew Droz Palermo’s One & Two.