Organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), the Istanbul Film Festival goes through a restructuring after 9 years. Azize Tan, Festival Director for the last 9 years, hands the post over to Assistant Director Kerem Ayan.

As of October, Azize Tan is stepping down as Director of the Istanbul Film Festival, and the Istanbul Film Festival’s Assistant Director for the past 9 years, Kerem Ayan will be taking over the position. With the Istanbul Film Festival team as Coordinator since 2005, Bulgu Öztürk was appointed as Assistant Director of the festival.

Azize Tan joined İKSV in 1997 as subtitles coordinator for the Istanbul Film Festival and worked as Coordinator between 2000 and 2002, later as Assistant Director from 2003 until 2006, when she became the Director of the Istanbul Film Festival. She also worked as coordinator of the 5th, 6th, and 7th Istanbul Biennial. Azize Tan will continue her support to the Istanbul Film Festival as Advisor.

Born in Istanbul, Kerem Ayan graduated from the Saint-Joseph High School in Istanbul and went on to study Mechanical Engineering in the Yildiz Technical University, Istanbul. During his school years, heworked as a guest guide for the Film, Theatre, Music, and Jazz Festivals at İKSV. Ayan moved to Paris in 1992 and studied film at the Ecole Supérieure de Réalisation Audiovisuelle and Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7. He was the Assistant Director and in charge of the cultural page in the Radio France Internationale for four years. Ayan started working for the Cannes Film Festival in 2001 and meanwhile, organized the International Literary Adaptation Marketin Monaco. In 2005, he launched the Political Films Festival in Barcelona and directed it for three years. Since 2006, he has been the Assistant Director of the Istanbul Film Festival. Kerem Ayan also went into directing plays in 2010 and has so far staged “Bay Hiç” (2010/11, Kim Kime Dumduma Theatre Company), “Kuçu Kuçu” (2012/13, Aysa Production), “Yaşamak Denen Bu Zahmetli İş” (2013/14-2014/15, Istanbul State Theatre), and “Tek Kişilk Şehir” (2014/15, Tiyatroperest), among others.

Bulgu Öztürk studied film in the Université Lumiére Lyon 2 and graduated in 2002. She has been working as a coordinator in the Istanbul Film Festival since 2005.

Further updates on the 35th Istanbul Film Festival to take place in April 2016 will be announced soon.