content tagged with Istanbul Film Festival

Tuğçe Yılmaz

İstanbul Film Festival leaves out queer films section once again

İstanbul Film Festival leaves out queer films section once again

Following a backlash last year, the festival promised to reintroduce the section. However, the category remains absent, and the number of queer films has also been reduced in what critics describe as the festival's alignment with the state’s definition of the "sacred family."

1 April 2026 Tuğçe Yılmaz

İstanbul Film Festival to kick off on April 9

İstanbul Film Festival to kick off on April 9

As part of the festival, the Cinema Honorary Award will be presented this year to actor Nilüfer Aydan and director Gianfranco Rosi.

Tuğçe Yılmaz

İstanbul Film Festival drops queer films section from 2025 lineup

İstanbul Film Festival drops queer films section from 2025 lineup

LGBTI+ activists have called for a boycott of the festival, while organizers said this year’s edition includes fewer sections but more films, and that the removal of the section does not affect the movies being screened.

27 March 2025 Tuğçe Yılmaz

Foundation removes film from festival ‘because director is a perpetrator of violence’

Foundation removes film from festival ‘because director is a perpetrator of violence’

The İstanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) has announced that “A New Earth is Rising” documentary by Yüksekbağ has been removed from the 41st İstanbul Film Festival.

Best Film Prizes Awarded to 'House of Hummingbird' and 'A Tale of Three Sisters'

38TH İSTANBUL FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS PRESENTED

Best Film Prizes Awarded to 'House of Hummingbird' and 'A Tale of Three Sisters'

The awards of 38th İstanbul Film Festival have been granted. While the Golden Tulip in International Competition has been awarded to "The House of Hummingbird” by Bora Kim, “A Tale of Three Sisters” by Emin Alper has won the award in national competition.

IKSV Cancels Screening of Guerilla Documentary Bakur

IKSV Cancels Screening of Guerilla Documentary Bakur

Istanbul Foundation for Culture and the Arts (IKSV) announced they were canceling the screening of A Guerilla Documentary Bakur/North after a warning from the Ministry of Culture. 22 films consequently withdrew from the film festival to protest what was widely viewed as censorship.

27th Istanbul Film Festival Coming Up

This year’s film festival will feature 200 films from world cinema. There will also be concerts and workshops