YESTERDAY AT THE FESTIVAL OCTOBER 26, 2018, FRIDAY

6th Bosphorus Film Festival kicked off with the Opening Ceremony held at Grand Pera Emek Theatre. Irem Şentürk, the General Coordinator of the festival made the Opening Speech, and the Artistic Director Emrah Kılıç said “I invite you all to explore our festival catalogue.”

Ahmet Misbah Demircan, Mayor of Beyoglu Municipality and President of Union of the Bosphorus Municipalities emphasized their happiness for providing contributions to the festival and said: “Cinema mirrors us. Bosphorus is the original Istanbul. Looking from Bosphorus, you see the original Istanbul. As the Union of the Bosphorus Municipalities, we are happy to support the festival. Hosting Bosphorus Film Festival in Beyoglu; the center of culture and arts, is significant.”

At the ceremony, Honorary Award was presented to Sergei Loznitsa, the master Ukrainian director. Having received the award from Ogün Şanlıer, the festival president, Loznitsa declared his appreciations and said: “Up to now, I have made 25 films, but this is not much at all. I invite you all to watch my films together. See you soon at the theatre screenings and at my Master Class on Sunday.”

Having numerous personages including Parviz Shahbazi, Marc Baschet, Iris Ng, Serdar Akar, Andaç Haznedaroğlu, Begüm Birgören, Hande Doğandemir, Ercan Mehmet Erdem and Mehmet Aksın, the ceremony continued with the screening of “The Old Man & The Gun” starring Oscar-winner actor Robert Redford.

TODAY AT THE FESTIVAL OCTOBER 27, 2018, SATURDAY

• Sarajevo-premiered “A Good Day’s Work” written and directed by Martin Turk, the Slovenian director whom we know from “Feed Me with Your Words” (2012) will be screened at Atlas Movie Theatre at 12:00.

• Nathaniel Kahn’s “The Price Of Everything” hosting globally renowned contemporary artists including Jeff Koons, Gerhard Richter, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Larry Poons, that vied at Sundance, Philadelphia, CPH:DOX film festivals, will be screened at Beyoglu Movie Theatre at 12.00.

• Florian Weigensamer and Christian Krönes’ impressive documentary “Welcome To Sodom”, an untimely apocalyptical picture depicting the experiences of the thousands of people working in an electronic garbage in Ghana, will be screened at Kadikoy Movie Theatre at 12:00.

• “Capharnaum” by Nadine Labaki, the Lebanese actress who also proved her directing skills with her films such as “Caramel” (2007) and “Where Do We Go Now?” (2011); a deeply influential film exposing the contemporary slavery on the streets of Beirut, that divided the audience at its premiere at Cannes will be screened at Atlas Movie Theatre at 16:00.

• “Debt”, a national competition film directed by Vuslat Saraçoğlu, will be screened at Beyoglu Movie Theatre at 16:00 with the participation of the director and cast.

• The panel talk “Production, Distribution and Communication Processes in Cinema” will be realized under the moderation of Emrah Kılıç and with the attendance of the speakers; Cemil Yavuz, Vice President of TRT Television Department, Serdar Can, General Manager of CGV Mars Distribution, Barış Zavaroğlu, Digital Media and Entertainment Director, at Akademi Beyoglu at 17:00.

• Owner of last night’s Honorary Award, the Ukrainian director Sergei Loznitsa’s “The Trial”, a film that questions the presentation and perception of truth based on unique photos and footage from 1930’s Stalinist Russia will be screened at 19.00; and his observatory documentary “Victory Day”, a documentary that questions our remembrance rituals through May 9 celebrations - the Victory Day of the Red Army against the Nazis - realized by the former USSR citizens living in Berlin, will be screened at 21:30 at Beyoglu Movie Theatre.

• One of the prominent directors of Romanian cinema, Radu Jude’s latest film “I Do Not Care If We Go Down In History As Barbarians” that was selected as the Best Film at Karlovy Vary will be screened at Atlas Movie Theatre at 21:30.

TOMORROW AT THE FESTIVAL OCTOBER 28, 2018, SUNDAY

• “The Pillar of Salt”, a national competition film directed by Burak Çevik, will be screened at Beyoglu Movie Theatre at 12:00 with the participation of the director and cast.

• Elizabeth Mirzaei and Gulistan Mirzaei’s “Laila At The Bridge”, following an Afghani woman’s struggle with drugs, that premiered at CPH:DOX and won F:ACT Award will be screened at Kadikoy Movie Theatre at 12:00.

• A distinguished director not only for the Ukrainian, but the world cinema in general, we will talk with Sergei Loznitsa especially on his latest films “Donbass”, “Victory Day” and “The Trial” with an opportunity to learn about his experiences and thoughts regarding filmmaking. To be realized with the contributions of TürkMedya, Sergei Loznitsa Master Class will be realized at Soho House Istanbul at 14:00!

• Through an enlightening and pleasant conversation with the distinguished personages in our filmmaking industry, we will search for the answers, based on the experiences of Belçim Bilgin, Mert Firat and director Ömer Faruk Sorak, to some questions such as “Who is an actor?”, “How is the relationship between the director and actor established?”, “What are the ways to interpret the character and have the right performance?” The panel talk “Directing Actors” will be realized at Yapı Kredi Kültür Sanat at 11:00.

• Produced by Brad Pitt, and starring Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet, who earned great success with “Call Me By Your Name” (2017), “Beautiful Boy” will be screened at Beyoglu Movie Theatre at 16:00.  

• “The Pigeon”, a national competition film directed by Banu Sıvacı, will be screened at Beyoglu Movie Theatre at 19:00 with the participation of the director and cast.

• “Chaos”, a national competition film directed by Semir Aslanyürek, will be screened at Atlas Movie Theatre at 21:30 with the participation of the director and cast.

• Sergei Loznitsa’s four films, - among which three are Turkish premieres will be screened. “Donbass”, a dark comedy about the Donbass War, that won this year’s Best Director Prize from Un Certain Regard section of Cannes will be screened with the participation of Loznitsa himself at Beyoglu Movie Theatre at 21:30.