Besides well-known names of cinema in Turkey, celebrated actress Patricia Arquette and master director Bille August were among the exclusive guests who participated to the opening ceremony.
The 32nd Istanbul Film Festival Opening Ceremony, presented by Memet Ali Alabora, started with the screening of the introductory film of the festival. In the ceremony, primarily to Akbank for undertaking the sponsorship of the festival for the past 9 years, gratitude was extended to all institutions and corporations that supported the festival and thus made it viable to realise.
Successful actors and actresses of cinema in Turkey took the stage to introduce the programme of the opening ceremony. First, Selma Ergeç, celebrated actress and at the same time a dedicated fan of the festival introduced the films competing for the National and International Golden Tulip Competitions and the Film Award of the Council of Europe.
The leading actress Patricia Arquette in Roman Coppola’s film A Glimpse Inside The Mind of Charles Swan III, to be screened within the festival this year, and the master director of the eagerly anticipated film Night Train to Lisbon, Bille August, were among the guests at the opening ceremony. Patricia Arquette and Bille August presented the new sections of the festival programme, “Stories of Women” and “From Literature to Silver Screen” respectively. The special section, titled “Am I Not A Citizen? Barbarism, Civic Awakening and The City”, and prepared for this year by the Istanbul Film Festival in collaboration with the 13th Istanbul Biennial was presented by actress Nazan Kesal who was a member of the Golden Tulip National Competition Jury last year.
During the commemoration part of the ceremony presented by actor Halit Ergenç, the prominent names, whom we lost within the past year in film industry, were remembered, and the announcement was made about a new award to be given this year in memoriam Seyfi Teoman, whom we lost last year. Seyfi Teoman Best Debut Film Prize, to be given in memory of director, producer and scriptwriter Seyfi Teoman, is going to be supported by CMYLMZ Fikirsanat for the coming 5 years.
Later in Istanbul Film Festival opening ceremony, “Cinema Honorary Awards” were given to four highly esteemed names, who worked for years in film in Turkey.
The first Cinema Honorary Award of the festival was given to actress as well as the singer, painter and one of the first models of Turkey Lale Belkıs, who is the most adored “notorious woman” of Yeşilçam. Her acting performances in films such as Bitmeyen Korku, Ölüm Tarlası, Harun Reşid’in Gözdesi, Tarkan, Aşktan da Üstün, Bir Demet Menekşe, Dağınık Yatak, Yılın Kadını, Beyaz Melek are indelible in our memories. The award was given to Lale Belkıs by Ediz Hun, with whom he shared the leading roles in Kalbimin Efendisi, Çile and Sezercik Aslan Parçası.
Another Cinema Honorary Award of the festival was given to one of the most successful cinematographers in film and TV, Aytekin Çakmakçı, who had climbed the steps of success swiftly in his career that he had started in 1960, and took part in realisation of prominent films by Şerif Gören, İrfan Tözüm, Yavuz Turgul. He is known with his direction of photography in films such as Acı, Kan, Prenses, Cazibe Hanımın Gündüz Düşleri, Sen Türkülerini Söyle, Çağdaş Bir Köle, Yılanların Öcü, Muhsin Bey, İpekçe, Arabesk, Uzlaşma, Yumuşak Ten, and TV series, Şehnaz Tango, Baba Evi, Yeni Hayat, Bizim Ev, Yaprak Dökümü. The award was given by actress Hande Ataizi, who previously had acted in the film Mum Kokulu Kadınlar, of which Çakmakçı was DoP.
The third Cinema Honorary Award was given to scriptwriter and author Ayşe Şasa, who started her scriptwriting career in 1960s and collaborated frequently with Atıf Yılmaz in many of his films. She had worked in the films of many respected directors like Lütfi Ö. Akad, Halit Refiğ, Yusuf Kurçenli and Bülent Oran, worked as scriptwriter in many TV series among which Hacı Arif Bey was the most remarkable one, and had also written books and articles for magazines. The award was received by the Festival’s advisory board member Semih Kaplanoğlu on behalf of Şasa, who could not attend the ceremony.
The final Cinema Honorary Award of the festival was given to a very authentic and inspiring actor, Ahmet Mekin, who completing 55 years in his acting career. He had taken part in various films such as Bu Vatan Bizimdir, Aramıza Kan Girdi, Vurun Kahpeye’den Düğün, Çiçek Abbas, Kuyucaklı Yusuf. The award was given by one of the the most adored film stars of Turkey, Türkan Şoray, who had acted in the unforgettable film Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalım and in Yılanı Öldürseler together with Ahmet Mekin.
The 32nd Istanbul Film Festival Opening Ceremony was broadcast by CNN TÜRK channel. The videos and clips projected on screen to accompany the artists who took stage, were made by the IKSV Studio team Selçuk Metin and Işınay Gönülalan. The stage direction of the ceremony was by Yekta Kara.
After the opening ceremony, 32nd Istanbul Film Festival started with the screening of the Spanish director Pedro Almodovar’s last film, I’m So Excited, with Carlos Areces, Raul Arevalo and Javier Camara in leading roles with Penelope Cruz and Antonio Banderas as guest stars. I’m So Excited is going to be screened within the “Akbank Galas” section of the festival.
The Festival takes start on Saturday, 30 Mart, Non-Stop films for 16 days in Istanbul!
The 32nd Istanbul Film Festival, starting on Saturday, 30 March and taking place until 14 April, is going to be hosted at 7 different movie theatres; Atlas, Beyoğlu, Pera Müzesi in Beyoğlu, Citylife City’s in Nişantaşı, Feriye in Ortaköy and Rexx in Kadıköy. Beside screening more than 200 films under 20 different sections, festival offers filmgoers 2 weeks full of talks with famous directors, workshops and panel discussions.
Pay close attention to the screenings that are going to be done with the participation of well-known directors, actresses and actors at the first weekend of the festival. Patricia Arquette is going to join the screening of A Glimpse Inside The Mind of Charles Swan III on Saturday, 30 March, at 13.30 at Atlas. Bille August is going to have a Q&Q chat after both screenings of A Night Train to Lisbon on Saturday, 30 March, at 16.00, at Atlas and on Sunday, 31 March, at 11.00, at Nişantaşı City’s Cinema. Festival’s Cinema Honorary Award recipient, Lale Belkıs is going to meet the audience before the screening of Kalbimin Efendisi / Master of My Heart on Saturday, 30 March, at 16.00, at Beyoğlu.
For further information on 32nd Istanbul Film Festival: film.iksv.org/en
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