The 34th Istanbul Film Festival Opening Ceremony, presented by actor Cem Davran and hosted by İKSV General Director Görgün Taner and Akbank General Manager Hakan Binbaşgil, started with plaque presentation to the institutions and organizations that have supported the festival, particularly to AKBANK, the festival’s sponsor for 11 years now.
The ceremony continued with the presentation of the festival competitions and the juries. A total of 49 films will be competing in the 34th Istanbul Film Festival for the International and National Golden Tulip Competitions, FACE Human Rights in Cinema, Seyfi Teoman Best Debut Film, and the newly launched National Documentary Competition categories.
The next section in the Istanbul Film Festival Opening Ceremony was the tributes, honouring the figures of the cinema, culture, and art world who passed away during the previous year. Talat Halman, Turkey’s first Minister of Culture and Chairman of İKSV Board of Trustees, and Yaşar Kemal, one of the most internationally renowned authors to have come out of Turkey, were given special mention in this section.
The annual Cinema Honorary Awards of the Istanbul Film Festival were given to five distinguished figures who have long served the Turkish cinema. Safa Önal was the first to receive his Honorary Award at the ceremony. A holder of Guinness World Record title for his 395 filmed screenplays, Önal is one of Turkey’s most prolific filmmakers, with more than 500 scripts for TV series episodes and over 60 photonovelas to his credit as writer and nearly 40 films as director. During the course of his career spanning 60 years, he has written the scripts for some of the classics in the Turkish cinema, including the O Beautiful Istanbul, Hep O Şarkı, Dila Hanım, and My Prostitute Love. Actress Türkan Şoray presented Safa Önal his award in the ceremony.
Musician Cahit Berkay received the second Honorary Award of the night. Berkay is not only renowned as a founder of the Anatolian rock music with his authentic style, but also a favourite of cinephiles for his exceptional film scores. He has more than 180 films, including Abbas in Flower and The Girl with the Red Scarf, and more than 70 television series to his credit as composer since 1962. He is among the founders of the band Moğollar and has also collaborated with many musicians, including Barış Manço, Cem Karaca, Selda Bağcan and Derya Petek. Cahit Berkay received his award from rock singer Şebnem Ferah, while also giving a surprise performance of a selection of his film scores.
The third Honorary Award of the night was presented to Yılmaz Atadeniz. Director, producer, and a genius in editing, Atadeniz is another prolific artist in the film business with a filmography that spans almost all genres, from comedy to adventure and to comic book adaptations. During the course of his career, which he started over 60 years ago as an editor, he has contributed greatly to the development of the Turkish fantastic cinema, making some of the cult films in the genre. Director Çağan Irmak presented Yılmaz Atadeniz his award on stage.
The fourth recipient of the five Honorary Awards was Süleyman Turan, who has portrayed unforgettable supporting characters with whom the audiences identified deeply, whether it be in comedy or drama. Turan’s childhood passion for painting grew into a profession, which he pursued as an illustrator in a wide spectrum ranging from comic books to cartoons, from posters to book covers. His acting career started with his role in Mehmet Dinler’s Sayın Bayan in 1963, when he won the competition organised by the Ses Magazine. Actress Hale Soygazi, with whom he acted in My Dear Uncle–of which he also wrote the screenplay– presented Süleyman Turan his award.
The final Honorary Award of the night was presented to actress Nebahat Çehre. A distinguished actress in the Turkish cinema, renowned for both her exceptional talent and beauty, Çehre entered the film business with her role in The Wild Rose in 1961. Her critically acclaimed performances in a wide variety of genres from melodrama to historical and fantastic films included many highlights such as Bitter Life, Seyyit Han, Balatlı Arif, Eşrefpaşalı, Bride of the Earth, and Kamalı Zeybek. In the second millennium, Çehre’s popularity got beyond the borders of Turkey with her roles in internationally televised series such as Night of June, Forbidden Love, and Magnificent Century. Nebahat Çehre received her award from actor Selçuk Yöntem.
The 34th Istanbul Film Festival Opening Ceremony was broadcast live on CNN Turk. The video projections that accompanied the entire show were prepared by the İKSV Studio team, Selçuk Metin and Erman Pehlivan. The stage director of the show was Turkish State Opera and Ballet Chief Director Yekta Kara.
Following the award ceremony, the 34th Istanbul Film Festival kicked off with the screening of
Ernesto Daranas Serrano’s film Conducta / Behavior. The film will also be screened during the festival in the section of From the World of Festivals.
The city eyes the festival
For two weeks until Sunday, 19 April, the Istanbul Film Festival will host over 200 films at eight movie theatres, along with free events like talks and workshops by doyenne filmmakers, master classes, and special activities.
The festival programme is on the festival’s official website film.iksv.org, as well as on İKSV Mobile application, which is updated with the contribution of İKSV Official Communication Sponsor Vodafone and is free for download on AppStore and Google Play.
For detailed information about the 34th Istanbul Film Festival: www.film.iksv.org/en
Follow Istanbul Film Festival on social media:
facebook.com/istanbulfilmfestivali
#istfilmfest15
