The Istanbul International Film Festival (April 3 - 18, 2010), in close cooperation with EFP, will highlight and present 10 current European and 12 Turkish productions of up-and-coming directors.
Apart from the aim of raising public awareness for the selected films in this year's European Capital of Culture, the idea is to facilitate and improve the films´ distribution beyond their borders. Key European distributors will be invited to Istanbul to see the newest in Turkish fare; at the same time, the Turkish industry will have the chance to watch new and exciting European cinema with festival audiences. In addition, special industry screenings will take place in the presence of the invited professionals. "Bridges Europe - Turkey" is financially supported by the MEDIA International programme of the European Union, the participating EFP members and the Istanbul European Capital of Culture programme.
The directors and sales agents of the selected films are invited to attend the festival for an intercultural dialogue and to discuss possibilities of fostering the circulation of European and Turkish films in the diverse markets. "Bridges Europe - Turkey" offers various platforms for networking, discussions and business meetings. A part of the programme will be a European Reception and a workshop with the participation of Europe's leading casting directors aiming to strengthen the collaboration between Turkish and European actors and directors.
"We are very pleased to see `Bridges Europe - Turkey´, here in Istanbul", says festival director Azize Tan. "This programme is strengthening the professional relationship between Turkey and Europe and initiates a dialogue between filmmakers and sales from here and there. And, in the end, hopefully quite a few films from Europe will find their way to theatrical release in Turkey, and our national films will bring the issues of our country to the people in Europe. In this way, the films and their makers support the cultural exchange."
10 European films have been selected for "Bridges Europe - Turkey", among others, the acclaimed Nothing Personal by Urszula Antoniak, starring this year's SHOOTING STAR from The Netherlands, Lotte Verbeek. Nothing Personal is a coproduction between Macdara Kelleher of Fastnet Films (Ireland) and Reinier Selen of Rinkel Film & TV Productions (The Netherlands) realized after they participated in EFP´s programme PRODUCERS ON THE MOVE 2008 in Cannes.
Also selected for "Bridges Europe - Turkey", has been the European coproduction (Bosnia - Herzegovina, Croatia, Austria, Germany) On the Path (Na Putu) by Jasmila Zbanic, which has been screened in this year´s Berlinale Cpmpetition. The film sees Zrinka Cvitesic, Croatian SHOOTING STAR 2010, as main cast.
The 12 selected Turkish films include Bornova Bornova, winner of the Best Screenplay Award at the SIYAD (Turkish Cinema Critics Association) Awards in 2010. Winning several awards with Made in Europe in 2008, director İnan Temelkuran's second feature film Bornova Bornova is set in the director's hometown İzmir, and is about unemployment and its effects. The latest film Taylan Brothers have directed, Vavien, is a noir comedy that delicately tells the story of a small town family.
In 2010, the Istanbul International Film Festival screens 170 international films, with 111 originating from Europe. The festival seeks primarily to encourage the development of cinema in Turkey and to promote films of quality in the Turkish market. Selected international films compete for the Golden Tulip Award.
Participating EFP member organizations: Austrian Film Commission, British Council, Croatian Audiovisual Centre, Danish Film Institute, Greek Film Centre, Holland Film, Irish Film Board, National Film Centre Bulgaria, Polish Film Institute, Unifrance
