The 44th Istanbul Film Festival, organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), begins on 11 April 2025. Sponsored by N Kolay, it celebrates filmmakers whose narratives and artistry are transforming today’s cinema. The festival also includes talks, special screenings, and events with the participation of guest directors and actors.
The 44th Istanbul Film Festival will bring 139 feature films and 15 short films to the audience between 11 and 22 April. The festival programme includes the finest examples of world cinema, iconic works, films by master directors, and the latest films from emerging talents with world, Balkan, and Turkish premieres. In addition to film screenings, the festival offers an events programme for 12 days with the participation of filmmakers, actors and professionals.
This year’s selection includes Dag Johan Haugerud’s Dreams, winner of the Golden Bear and the FIPRESCI Award at the Berlin Film Festival; Gia Coppola’s The Last Showgirl, winner of the Special Jury Prize in San Sebastian; Simon of the Mountains, the Grand Prize winner of the Cannes Critics’ Week, and Blue Trail, winner of the Grand Jury Prize in Berlin. In addition to the latest films of esteemed directors such as François Ozon, Tom Tykwer, Michel Franco, Burhan Qurbani, Mahdi Fleifel and Gary Hustwit, the festival also presents restored productions by David Lynch, Wim Wenders, Jacques Demy, Robert Bresson and Quentin Tarantino. Featured documentaries include biopics on Max Richter, Brian Eno and Charles Aznavour. Cologne 75, directed by Ido Fluk, which premiered at a special gala at the 2025 Berlin Film Festival, opens the Istanbul Film Festival.
Festival Events
The 44th Istanbul Film Festival features special screenings and Q&A sessions with filmmakers’ and actors’ participation. Norwegian director Dag Johan Haugerud, winner of the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival with his film Dreams, is honoured with a retrospective section containing six of his feature films. Haugerud will meet the audience at a festival talk on 16 April, 12.00 at Yapı Kredi Culture and Arts. Haugerud will also attend the screenings of his films Sex, Love and Dreams on 13, 14 and 15 April.
In another festival talk, Larry Towell, renowned as a photographer, writer, and chronicler for documenting historical events, human rights conditions, and conflicts in Nicaragua, Mexico, Canada, Palestine, and Afghanistan, will meet the audience on 19 April at 15.00 at Yapı Kredi Culture and Arts.
The co-production platform of the Istanbul Film Festival, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the Meetings on the Bridge, offers public panels. ‘Rethinking Competitiveness, Copyrights and Collaboration in Cinema’ will be held at HOPE Alkazar on 15 April, Tuesday at 15.30 with the participation of Melis Behlil, Rossato Fernandes, Pelin Turan and Antonios Vlassis, moderated by Yamaç Okur. Gerhard Maier will be the speaker of the panel ‘Cinema and Artificial Intelligence: Looking to the Future’ on 16 April at 14.00 at Yapı Kredi Culture and Arts. At the same venue, Ada Solomon, Burak Çevik, Kirsten Niehuus and Mads Wølner Voss will get together for ‘Whose Story? Film Funding and Creative Choices’ on 17 April at 14.00, moderated by Jay Weissberg. On the same day, at 16.00, Anke Petersen, Aleksandra Derewienko, Louise Martin Papasian and Anne Delseth will speak at the panel ‘Finding the Right Story: Current Creative Tendencies in Documentary Narrative’, moderated by Çiğdem Öztürk.
