18th Izmir Short Film Festival is set to start

Turkey’s one the most anticipated event International Izmir Short Film Festival begins Tuesday the 7^th of November. The festival screens 400 films from 42 different countries free of charge for film lovers. Along with special film selections, festival also hosts exciting workshops, exhibitions and events until the 12^th of November.

The festival will take place on November 7- 12. 400 films from 42 different countries have spread out to 146 showings, including university screenings. Films will be shown free of charge at the Institut Français, Izmir Art in Culture Park, Buca Municipality Tarik Akan Youth Center and at the participating universities’ halls.

Events & Workshops
İzmir's festival aims to provide training in every field for short films. With this aim at its heart, workshops, talks and seminars have been organized with the pioneers of the film industry. The workshops will start with the successful cast director Harika Uygur. Actress Irem Altug will be sharing her experiences in film and TV. While Advertiser Heval Hazal Kurt will be searching the answers for short films’ marketing issues in her workshop, film critic and International Competition jury member Murat Tolga Sen will be talking about film writing and Turkish Cinema. Oktostore will run an interesting workshop on digital cinema where the participants will have a chance to discuss the latest technologies and equipment. Berlin based sound operator Tolga Uygur will share his knowledge on sound recording, boom operating, microphones and sound editing in his workshop.

Film lovers will also have the opportunity to meet with successful actors Burak Demir, Basak Parlak and director Bulent Isbilen. Actress Deniz Cakir, who will serve in the National Competition jury this year, will also meet with the festivalgoers in a talk session during the festival.

Festival will host a special screening of Luis González's feature film "The Turkish Way" at the French Cultural Center. The documentary tells the story of three chiefs of the El Celler de Can Roca, which was chosen as the best restaurant in the world in 2015. They begin a gastronomic journey from Argentina and travel to Turkey. 

Portraits from Turkish Cinema photograph exhibition by Mehmet Kostumoglu can be visited at Buca Municipality Culture Center during the festival. Kostumoglu’s 24 years’ worth of work comprises of 200 portraits of the greatest names of the Turkish Cinema; Tarik Akan, Mujde Ar, Münir Özkul, Tuncel Kurtiz, Mujdat Gezen, Ediz Hun, Omer Lutfi Akad, Hale Soygazi, Perihan Savas and Sener Sen.

11 Awards
Short films from all over the globe will be competing for the Golden Cat Awards. The best fiction film and the runner ups in the international and national competitions will be awarded. In the national category, the best documentary, the best experimental, the best animation films awards and best newcomer and best cinematographer awards also be presented.  

Ege University, Yasar University, İzmir Economy and Izmir Institute of Technology students will be voting for the title of the best film to receive the Migros Youth Prize amongst the finalist films which will be screened at the universities’ halls.

Festival is kindly supported by the Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, Izmir General Directorate of Cinema, Buca, Konak, Bornova and Karşıyaka Municipalities and French Cultural Center.