The Turkish film industry was also basking in the announcement during the festival that Nuri Bilge Ceyhan's latest film, Once Upon a Time in Anatolia, will have its world premier in a competition slot at the Cannes film festival. Another film that looks bound for international festival success is Sedat Yılmaz's film Press which scooped a number of prizes in Istanbul including a Special Jury Prize in the Council of Europe (FACE) Human Rights in Cinema competition as well as a special Jury Prize in the Naitonal Competition and the FIPRESCI prize for best film in the National Competition. Sedat Ylimaz also won the Turkish Cinema theme prize, sponsored by Efes, with an award of $30,000 to be used toward his next film.
The awards ceremony was followed by a gala party sponsored by Efes in the legendary Pera Palace Hotel famous as the terminus hotel for the Orient Express. The Pera was home to guests that included Agatha Christie. Trotsky and Kemel Ataturk and has just reopened its doors after a lengthy reconstruction with stunning results.
Other Prizes of Istnabul IFF 2011:
Director Juanita Wilson won the Film Award of the Council of Europe (FACE), presented in scope of Human Rights in Cinema competition, with As If I'm Not There.. Nazan Kesal won the Best Actress Award with her role in Hair and Ahmet Mekin won the Best Actor Award with his role in Unseen. In this year's National Competition, Belma Baş was deemed to deserve The Best Screenplay of The Year Award with her film Zephyr. The Best Director of Photography award in the National Competition was given to Birgit Gudjonsdottir with her film Our Grand Despair and the Best Music Award was given to Ahmet Kenan Bilgiç with the film Merry-Go-Round. The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) Awards were given to Tran Anh Hung's film Norwegian Wood in the International Competition. Radikal Newspaper, one of the IKSV's media sponsors. In the International Competition, Seyfi Teoman's Our Grand Despair and in the National Competition İlksen Başarır's film Merry-Go-Round won the awards.
