International Bosphorus Film Festival to start Friday

By Hilal Ustuk

ISTANBUL (AA) - More than 100 films from 39 countries will be shown in this year’s International Bosphorus Film Festival that will begin on Friday.

Speaking at a news conference in Istanbul, festival organizer Ogun Sanlier said movies from several countries, including Brazil, India, Iran and Kyrgyzstan will be screened between Nov. 17 and Nov. 26 in the fifth edition of the festival.

Anadolu Agency is the festival’s global communication partner.

“Our well-known guests such as Bela Tarr, Aida Begic, Dervis Zaim, Bobby Roth, Mecid Mecidi will mingle with film lovers at the screenings and events during the festival,” Sanlier said.

He said a new category “A Long March” was added to the festival’s program in an attempt to boost awareness of the refugee crisis.

Festival director Bulent Turgut said this year’s festival program was stirring and full of innovations.

The jury members for the national feature film competition include Turkish film director Dervis Zaim, writer Ayfer Tunc, actress Yasemin Allen, director of cinematography Feza Caldiran and film editor Aylin Zoi Tinel.

Films competing in this category are Andac Haznedaroglu’s Misafir (Guest), Ayhan Salar and Erkan Tahhusoglu’s Esik, Burcak Acik Uzen’s Beginner, Bulent Ozturk’s Mavi Sessizlik (Blue Silence), Fikret Reyhan’s Sari Sicak (Yellow Heat), Ozgur Sevimli’s Murtaza, Pelin Esmer’s Ise Yarar Bir Sey (Something Useful) and Selman Kilicaslan’s Butun Saadetler Mumkundur (All Felicities Are Possible).

The award for the best film is 100,000 Turkish liras ($25,832), he added.

- Woody Allen movie

Bosnian film director Aida Begic will head the international feature film competition jury, he said. In total, 10 films are competing in this category: Mejid Mejidi’s Beyond the Cloud, Parviz Shahbazi’s Malaria, Amr Salama’s Sheikh Jackson, Thierry de Peretti’s A Violent Life, George Ovashvili’s Khibula, Andrea Magnani’s Easy, Davi Pretto’s Rifle, Bakyt Mukul and Dastan Zhaparuulu’s A Father’s Will, and Cristi Iftime’s Marita. This category’s best film award is 50,000 Turkish liras ($12,916).

Turgut said Begic’s film Never Leave Me, which tells the story of three children who fled the war in Syria to come to Sanliurfa in southeastern Turkey, will premiere at the festival.

The Hungarian film director Bela Tarr will be in Istanbul during the festival and will give a masterclass, he said.

Films by Tarr such as Werckmeister Harmoniak, The Man From London and The Turin Horse will be screened at the festival, he added.

Festival coordinator Irem Senturk said among festival guests were Hungarian art film director Laszlo Rajk as well as Bobby Roth, who directed episodes of popular American TV series Prison Break and Lost.

Senturk said Woody Allen’s latest film Wonder Wheel will also be screen in the festival’s World Cinema category.

Wonder Wheel, the 1950s set drama, which stars Kate Winslet, Justin Timberlake, James Belushi, Juno Temple, Max Casella, Jack Gore and David Krumholtz, will be screened on Saturday, Tuesday and Nov. 23.

The festival will be closed with Suburbicon directed by George Clooney, she added.

The event has been supported by the Directorate General of Cinema of Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, Anadolu Agency, Turkey's state broadcaster TRT and the country's national flag carrier, Turkish Airlines.