Istanbul Film Festival

About

The International Istanbul Film Festival was first presented as a film week in the summer of 1982, within the framework of the International Istanbul Festival. In 1983 under the title “International Istanbul Film Days”, 36 films were shown in one month.

Beginning in 1984, the event became a separate activity and was shifted to April. In 1985, with the incentive of Şakir Eczacıbaşı, two competitive sections, one national and the other international, were included in the Festival program. The grand prize of the festival, the Golden Tulip, was first given this year to Michael Radford for his film 1984. Accredited by FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers Associations) since 1989 as a “specialised competitive festival”, the “film week” thus was renamed the International Istanbul Film Festival. Only films on arts or artists or literary adaptations can participate to the International Golden Tulip Competition.

The Festival, whose aim is “to encourage the development of cinema in Turkey, to help Turkish cinema attain international recognition and to promote films of quality in the Turkish market”, has also introduced international institutions and organizations like EURIMAGES to the Turkish market.

Program

• The International Golden Tulip Competition open only to fiction, documentary, or animated films on arts (literature, theatre, music, dance, cinema, plastic arts), or literary adaptations;
• Turkish Cinema 2015−2016, which includes the subsections Documentaries, New Turkish Cinema and the National Golden Tulip Competition;
• The Council of Europe Film Award (FACE) Competition within the Human Rights in Cinema section;
• Non-competitive, informative sections. Fiction features and documentaries can be selected for these sections;
• Thematic sections.

Awards

The International Golden Tulip Competition will be supported by the Eczacıbaşı Group with a total monetary award of 25,000 Euros. This amount will be distributed as follows:

• 10,000 Euros to the director of the film which wins the Şakir Eczacıbaşı Golden Tulip Award;
• 50,000 Euros to the Turkish distributor of the winning film;
• 5,000 Euros to the director of the film which wins the Special Jury Award.

The jury, upon judging the films, will present the FACE award, which includes a sculpture in bronze and a cash prize of Euros 10,000 offered in collaboration with Eurimages, the Council of Europe fund for the co-production, distribution and exhibition of European cinematographic works.

Rules

Fiction, documentary, or animated films (fitting the theme new perspectives in cinema) in DCP (Digital Cinema Package) format and a minimum duration of 60 minutes can be selected for the competition.

Films will not be considered if released before 1 January 2023, or already released in Turkey, excluding the Turkish entries. 

Subtitles language: English and turkish

Documents and Other Requisite Items

• Fill out entry form,
• Send DVD with submitted film by mail.

Both way shipment costs of the prints will be paid by the Festival only if the prints are sent from and returned to their sources.

In case the print is shared with another festival, the Istanbul Film Festival will pay for the return transportation charges only. The films must be sent prepaid by the other festival. No collect shipments are accepted unless authorised by the Istanbul Film Festival. Storage, customs, insurance and handling charges in Turkey will be covered by the Istanbul Film Festival.
Films will be returned within two weeks after the closing of the Festival. The consignee will be notified of the shipping details. The Festival is not responsible for storage fees at the airport.

Premiere Requirements

National premiere required.

Jury and Organizers

Festival director - Azize Tan

Director Assistant - Kerem Ayan