The International Istanbul Film Festival was first held in 1982 as part of the International Istanbul Festival titled the Film Week. The festival screened six films united by a common theme, “Arts and Cinema”. The theme was designed to keep the Film Week within the context of the International Istanbul Festival. The second edition was held the following year, running for over a month during the International Istanbul Festival. The event was named the International Istanbul Film Days. It featured 36 films.
The International Istanbul Film Days became an independent event in 1984. A year later, its program expanded to include two competitive sections – national competition and international competition. Since 1987, the festival has been presenting Cinema Honorary Awards for outstanding contribution to the film industry. In 1989, the International Federation of Film Producers Associations accredited it as a competitive specialized film festival for art-oriented films (theater, literature, dance, music, and fine arts). That same year the festival got its current name.
The selection of films to be screened at the festival is conducted by the selection committee assisted by the advisory board. The program of the festival consists of several sections including International Competition, National Competition, National Documentary Competition, National Short Film Competition, and special sections on specific themes such as Turkish classics, independent films, human rights in cinema, and others.
The main award of the Istanbul Film Festival is the Golden Tulip Award. It is presented as the Grand Prize of the International Competition. Several Golden Tulip Awards are presented within the National Competition (Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Cinematographer, Best Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Music, Special Jury Prize, Best Documentary, Best Short Film). Special awards presented at the festival include Lifetime Achievement Award, FIPRESCI Award, Film Award of the Council of Europe (FACE), and People’s Choice Award.
Photo: euronews.com
