Dates

The 45th Istanbul Film Festival, organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) as an international competitive cinema event, shall take place in Istanbul from 9 to 19 April 2026.

Aim

The aim of the Festival is to support the development of cinema in Türkiye by encouraging the commercial distribution of high-quality films and ensuring that they reach audiences; to promote the production of films with strong artistic value and support the development of the industry; to encourage future filmmakers and film professionals and create space for them; to ensure that qualified productions of national cinema reach audiences; to provide screenings of these films for international film critics, festival representatives, distributors, and television professionals; and thereby contribute to the international promotion and representation of the cinema of Türkiye.

Official Selection

The official selection of the 45th Istanbul Film Festival comprises the most recent and noteworthy films from Türkiye and around the world that reflect change and diversity across different areas of cinematic production, are of high quality, and are capable of representing the art of cinema at an international level. In accordance with these criteria, the programme is composed of the following sections:
a) Golden Tulip Competition (international)
b) New Visions (national)
c) Short Film Competition (national)
d) Non-competitive, informative sections featuring narrative feature films and documentaries presented within the framework of the Festival’s special themes
e) Special Sections

The final and sole decision regarding the selection and scheduling of films in the official selection rests with the Festival Directorate. Producers, directors, distributors, national film institutions, and diplomatic missions may propose films.

Films from Türkiye to be included in the official selection are determined by the Festival Directorate from among submissions or by invitation. Films produced outside Türkiye are included by invitation only. The Festival reserves the right not to disclose information regarding the selection of films.

Films released before 1 January 2025, as well as films that have been commercially released in Türkiye or made available via online, television, VOD, or streaming platforms, are not eligible for the official selection.

Films that have been screened in Istanbul at any theatrical release or public film screening event are not eligible for the official selection.

Turkish fiction feature films that have received a Best Film Award at a festival within Türkiye are not eligible for competition. Films that were not selected for the programme in previous years are not reconsidered or included in the official selection, even if re-edited. No premiere requirement applies to short films.

Films included in the official selection undertake to use the festival laurel and, in the event of winning an award, the award laurel on their official posters, and to include the award in their media and promotional materials.

The conditions for participation and submission from Türkiye for the official selection are detailed in the relevant annex of the regulations.

Juries and Evaluation

Competition films are evaluated by juries appointed by the Festival Directorate. Juries are composed of filmmakers, directors, film critics, actors, writers, film historians, academics, and prominent figures from related artistic disciplines from Türkiye and abroad.

The President of the Golden Tulip Competition Jury is appointed by the Festival Directorate. Juries determine their own working procedures. Jury members view the competition films during the Festival in public or private screenings, individually or collectively, according to a screening schedule determined by the Festival Directorate.

The Festival Directorate appoints a non-voting observer to attend jury deliberation meetings.

Before the announcement of the decisions, juries submit minutes signed by all members to the Festival Directorate.

In addition to the official festival awards granted by the juries, film professionals’ associations or guilds may also bestow parallel awards on films included in the official selection.

The official awards of the Festival are listed in detail in the relevant annex of the regulations.

Golden Tulip Competition

a) Films with a minimum duration of 60 minutes are eligible to compete.
b)Films to be screened in the Golden Tulip Competition are selected and scheduled by the Festival Directorate, which shall endeavour to ensure that one third of the films in this section are from Türkiye. All films participating in the Golden Tulip Competition must meet the requirement of a Türkiye premiere.
c)The Golden Tulip Award is presented to the producer of the film selected as Best Film.
d) The jury awards the Kariyo & Ababay Special Jury Prize to one film in the competition. The monetary prize is distributed equally, with one half awarded to the producer(s) and one half to the director.
e) The Special Jury Prize and the Golden Tulip Best Film Award may not be awarded to the same film.
f) No award may be shared between multiple films.

New Visions

Open exclusively to national productions, the New Visions section aims to encourage the production of films with strong artistic value in Türkiye, support the development of the industry, and foster future filmmakers and film professionals by creating space for them.
a) Directors’ first or second fiction or documentary films, regardless of genre or form, with a minimum duration of 60 minutes, are eligible for consideration.
b) Films in this section are selected and scheduled by the Festival Directorate from among submissions from Türkiye or by invitation.
c) The jury awards the Seyfi Teoman Award to the best film in this section. The award may not be shared. The monetary prize is distributed equally, with one half awarded to the producer(s) and one half to the director.

Short Film Competition

The aim of the national Short Film Competition is to encourage the production of short films of high artistic value in Türkiye, support development in this field, ensure that qualified short films reach audiences, and promote the international recognition of these films and their filmmakers.

Films competing in this section are selected from submissions from Türkiye or by invitation by the Short Film Advisory Board appointed by the Festival Directorate. The Festival reserves the right not to disclose information regarding the selection of films.

Following evaluation, the jury awards the Best Short Film Award to the director of the selected film. This award is granted to a single film and may not be shared.

Screenings and Copies

The Festival prefers that screening files of films in the official selection are sent digitally.
a) All films in the official selection are screened in their original versions with Turkish and English subtitles. The producer or director is required to provide a copy of the film with English subtitles or, alternatively, submit an English dialogue list to the Festival.
b) Screening copies and files of films included in the Festival programme must be delivered to the Festival Directorate no later than two weeks prior to the scheduled screening date, for inspection, translation, and press screenings.
c) The Festival covers inbound and outbound freight costs of physical copies, as well as storage, customs, and handling costs in Türkiye. Return freight costs are covered only if the copy is returned to the institution that supplied it.
d) Physical copies shall be returned to the specified address within two weeks following the end of the Festival. Shipping details shall be communicated separately to the recipient. The Festival is not responsible for storage fees at the airport of arrival.
e) Physical DCP copies must be sent directly to the Festival office; digital copies must be sent only to the designated Festival staff member.
f) The sender’s address must be clearly indicated on each physical copy. Participants must notify the Festival office by email of the film title, shipping date, and shipping method.
g) DCP copies must be sent in their original, protective, hard cases, clearly labelled with the title of the film.

Festival Rights

The Festival Directorate reserves the right to exclude films that do not meet the technical standards required and adequate for public screening.

All matters not covered by these general regulations are decided by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV).

Submission to the 45th Istanbul Film Festival constitutes full acceptance of the present Regulations. The Festival Directorate reserves the right to amend the regulations.

ANNEX 1

45th Istanbul Film Festival Submission and Conditions for Participation