To be held between 4-19 April this year, Istanbul Film Festival will once again offer cinephiles a powerful program encompassing the newest films that recently premiered at the Sundance and Berlin Film Festivals, as well as the masterpieces of all times, the latest films of great directors, and those of the up-and-coming prodigies yet to be discovered. The festival will hold a dozen of sections featuring 204 films by 222 directors from 62 countries, retrospectives and tributes, industry meetings, free-of-charge talks and workshops by renowned filmmakers, master classes, and other special events.

Let’s have a look at the Competition sections of the 34th Istanbul Film Festival:

In the International Competition section 13 films dealing with themes of art and artist or literature adaptations will vie for the €25,000 Golden Tulip Award. The jury presided by Rolf de Heer, consists of director Bence Fliegauf, writer-director George Ovashvili, producer Cédomir Kolar, and actress Melisa Sozen. Besides the Turkish film Why Can’t I Be Tarkovsky by Murat Duzgunoglu (2014) and the Turkish/German Yearning by Ben Hopkins (2015), the section will screen the latest films of Thomas Vinterberg and Ole Christian Madsen and Christian Petzold, among others.

9 cream of the crop films that were completed in the 2014/15 season, will be vying for the Golden Tulip in the National Competition of the festival, including three Turkey and five world premieres. The jury will be headed by the prominent Turkish film director Zeki Demirkubuz, with actor Tansu Bicer, cinematographer Emre Erkmen, author Sebnem Isiguzel, and the Berlinale Panorama Section Member Wieland Speck as its members.

Lemonade by Ali Atay, Turkey , 2014 

Lack by Baris Atay, Turkey, 2015 

Until I Loose My Breath by Emine Emel Balci, Turkey/Germany, 2015 

The Coop by Ufuk Bayraktar, Turkey, 2014

The Visitor by Mehmet Eryilmaz, Turkey, 2015 

The New World by Caner Erzincan, Turkey, 2015 

Secret by Selim Evci, Turkey, 2015 

Snow Pirates by Faruk Haciafizoglu, Turkey, 2015 

Ivy by Tolga Karacelik, Turkey, 2015 

The Documentary Competition Jury, assembled for the first time this year, will be awarding a total of 15,000 TL in the categories of Best Documentary and the Special Jury Prize. The jury consists of documentarian Emel Celebi, director and producer Pelin Esmer, and director Paul Poet. The program will be  holding 11 world premieres and 2 Turkey premieres. 

Naked by Zekeriya Aydogan, Turkey, 2015 

Giaour Neighbourhood by Yusuf Kenan Beysulen, Turkey, 2014

Trans*BUT – Fragments of Identity by Maria Binder, Turkey/Germany, 2015 

Hey Neighbour! by Bingol Elmas, Turkey, 2014 

Young Wrestlers by Mete Gumurhan, Turkey/Netherlands, 2015 

June Fire by Gurkan Hacir, Turkey, 2014

Sigh by Metin Kaya, Turkey, 2015 

Colony by Gurcan Keltek, Turkey/Netherlands, 2015 

Before Dawn by Omer Leventoglu & Ihsan Kacar Turkey, 2015 

White Plane by Kazim Oz, Turkey, 2015 

Smudge by Cihan Savucu & Erol Karakaya, Turkey 

Missing Times by Faysal Soysal, Turkey, 2015 

We Hit the Road by Deniz Yesil, Turkey, 2014 

Idil Biret: The Portrait of a child prodigy by Eytan Ipeker, Turkey, 2015 

The Human Rights in Cinema section will award the €10,000 FACE (the Film Award of Council of Europe) prize. Eurimages Fund of the Council of Europe supporting co-production, distribution, and presentation of cinema is a partner to the FACE Award. The FACE Award Jury comprises of author, actor and screenwriter Ercan Kesal, European Film Fund Eurimages Deputy Executive Director Isabel Castro, Palestinian screenwriter and director Najwa Najjar, and politician Leyla Kayacik. 10 films will meet the audiences, among them Song of my Mother by Erol Mintas (Turkey/France/Germany, 2014) and Tigers by Danis Tanovic (India/France, 2014).

Istanbul Film Festival 2015 will be presenting the Seyfi Teoman Best Debut Film Prize in memoriam of director and producer Seyfi Teoman. All the debut fiction films from Turkey in the International Golden Tulip Competition, Human Rights in Cinema and the Turkish Cinema (National Golden Tulip Competition, Out of Competition and New Turkish Cinema) sections will be eligible for the prize. Seyfi Teoman Best Debut Film Prize jury consists of scriptwriter and director Mahmut Fazil Coskun, director Syllas Tzoumerkas and actress Jale Arikan.

The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) will award one film from the International and one film from the National Competition, while the Cineuropa.org Prize will be presented to a film of the National Golden Tulip Competition section that besides having indisputable artistic qualities also brings out the idea of European dialogue and integration. The festival also is awarding one film from the National and one from the International Golden Tulip Competitions with the Radikal People’s Choice Award, with the winner travelling to the Sarajevo Film Festival.

Moroever, this year, the Istanbul Film Festival Honorary Awards will be given to five esteemed figures of the Turkish cinema: director-producer Yilmaz Atadeniz, musician Cahit Berkay, actress Nebahat Cehre, writer-director Safa Onal, and actor Suleyman Turan. The Honorary Awards will be presented at the festival΄s Opening Ceremony.