Bringing together outstanding and award-winning films from Türkiye and around the world, as well as special screenings, with the attendance of celebrated filmmakers and renowned figures, such as actor Anders Danielsen Lie, director Mike Figgis, composer Daniel Blumberg, dancer and choreographer Germaine Acogny, the 45th Istanbul Film Festival presents a rich and diverse programme of 127 feature and 13 short films. The selection spans the finest examples of world cinema, cult classics, and the latest works by master directors alongside emerging talents. It also features films making their world, international, Balkan, and Türkiye premieres. Over the course of 11 days, the festival will host not only screenings but also talks with guest directors and actors, in addition to special events.

45th Istanbul Film Festival Honorary Awards

This year, the festival’s Cinema Honorary Awards—presented to individuals who have dedicated their lives to cinema—will be awarded to actress Nilüfer Aydan and director Gianfranco Rosi.

Festival films to be screened across seven cinemas

This year's festival screenings will take place in 7 cinemas across the city: Atlas 1948 and Beyoğlu Cinema in Beyoğlu, CineWAM Premium+ City's Nişantaşı (Hall 3 and Hall 7) in Şişli, and Kadıköy Cinema, Kadıköy Municipality Sinematek/Cinema House, Paribu Cineverse Nautilus in Kadıköy. Kindly note that seating for all screenings at Sinematek/Cinema House will be unnumbered.

Screening times are 11.00, 13.30, 16.00, 19.00, and 21.30.

The opening film of the festival: Tre ciotole / Three Goodbyes

The opening film of the 45th Istanbul Film Festival is the latest film by Isabel Coixet, Three Goodbyes (Tre ciotole), which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Starring Alba Rohrwacher and Elio Germano, the film is an emotional drama revolving around "the sweet, human things we leave behind," according to Coixet.

Competitions: Golden Tulip, Short Film, and New Visions

Following its restructured format that emphasises its international character, the festival features three competitive sections: the Golden Tulip Competition, New Visions, and the Short Film Competition.

The Golden Tulip Competition presents 15 feature films to be evaluated by an international jury. Chaired by director David Mackenzie, the jury includes Berlin EFM Director Tanja Meissner, actor Ekin Koç, academic Prof. Dr. Aslı Tunç, and producer Rodrigo Areias. Click here for the films in the Golden Tulip Competition.

The Golden Tulip Award for Best Film is supported by the Eczacıbaşı Group, while the Seyfi Teoman Award for Best Film in the New Visions section and the Best Short Film Award are supported by Anadolu Efes.

The Short Film Competition jury comprising director Gizem Kızıl, actress Meriç Aral, and director Levent Türkan, will evaluate 11 short films. Click here for the films in the Short Film Competition.

he New Visions section, dedicated to supporting young directors by showcasing their first or second feature films, features 13 films. This year's jury comprises director Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay, actor Murat Kılıç, cinematographer Meryem Yavuz, producer Soner Alper, and film student Meltem Naz Salduz. Click here for the films in the New Visions.

In addition to the FIPRESCI awards, three professional organisations from Türkiye —the Association of Documentary Filmmakers in Türkiye (BSB), the Directors Association of Türkiye (Film-Yön), and the Film Critics Association (SİYAD)— will also evaluate the festival films with independent juries.

Highlights from the programme

This year, the festival programme is not divided into thematic sections. In addition to the three competitive sections, the programme features six main sections bringing together highly anticipated premieres, world festival highlights, debut films, documentaries, and classics.

N Kolay Galas: One of the most popular sections of the festival, supported by N Kolay, Galas feature the Turkish premieres of 12 highly anticipated films of the season, ranging from star-studded productions to works by master directors. Highlights include the political thriller The Wizard of the Kremlin starring Paul Dano and Jude Law; the opening film Three Goodbyes; Silent Friend featuring Tony Leung and Léa Seydoux; Mother Mary starring Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel; Fuze starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson; the documentary Pompei: Below the Clouds by Cinema Honorary Award recipient Gianfranco Rosi; Steven Soderbergh’s The Christophers; Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die; and Alice Winocour's Couture starring Angelina Jolie.

Young Masters: This section presents 20 films by talented young directors that have won awards at major festivals like Cannes, Venice, and Locarno. Standouts include Abdallah Alkhatib's Chronicles from the Siege, Myrsini Aristidou’s Hold Onto Me, Obsession by Curry Barker, and Lance Hammer’s Queen at Sea starring Juliette Binoche.

Documentary Time: Featuring 22 productions, this section covers diverse topics from politics and music to human rights and environmental issues. Local documentaries across different sections will be evaluated by an independent jury from the Association of Documentary Filmmakers in Türkiye (BSB).

Around the World: This section reflects the latest trends in global cinema with 27 recent works. Highlights include Soheil Beiraghi's Bidad, the Sundance award-winner How To Divorce During the War, Valérie Donzelli's At Work, and Kent Jones's Late Fame starring Willem Dafoe.

Specter: Inviting the audience to discover films that push the boundaries of cinematic language, this section includes works such as The Lake, Last Night I Conquered the City of Thebes, and Memory.

Classics Revisited: This section features newly restored cult films and special anniversary screenings. Highlights include Battleship Potemkin scored by Pet Shop Boys, the ‘80s classic St. Elmo’s Fire, a 25th-anniversary screening of Moulin Rouge!, and the iconic The Swimming Pool (La Piscine) starring Alain Delon and Romy Schneider.

Turkish Classics Revisited, supported by Zurich Insurance Group Türkiye: Bitter Life

In collaboration with Zurich Insurance Group Türkiye, the festival continues to restore significant works of Turkish cinema. This year, the 1962 classic Bitter Life (Acı Hayat), directed by Metin Erksan and starring Türkan Şoray, Nebahat Çehre, and Ayhan Işık, will be screened in its newly restored version by Atlas Post Production.

Meetings on the Bridge: 14–16 April

Meetings on the Bridge, the co-production, training, and networking platform that brings together producers, directors, and screenwriters from Türkiye with international cinema professionals every year, will be held on 14–16 April at Pera Museum, Borusan Music House, Institut Français, and Yapı Kredi Culture and Arts. With the main support of Anadolu Efes, Meetings on the Bridge continues to support filmmakers through its pioneering platforms: Film Development, Work in Progress, and the Short Film Workshop. Providing the first international industry presentations for films ranging from long and short-form fiction projects to documentaries in development and post-production stages, the platform also creates a strategic ground for artistic and financial co-productions. This year, a total of 23 projects are featured in the Meetings on the Bridge selection.

Within the scope of the 21st Meetings on the Bridge, the Türker İnanoğlu Debut Film Encouragement Award will be presented this year with the support of the Türker İnanoğlu Foundation (TÜRVAK), while the CUPRA Short Film Award will find its first owner under the sponsorship of CUPRA in the short film category.

This year's awards at Meetings on the Bridge are also supported by Anadolu Efes, Netflix, Mattepost, Melodika, Postgarden, Filmarka, Lumix, Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival, Screen Institute, Tallinn Film Festival, Midpoint, Fata Morgana, and Square Eyes. The Consulates General of India, Poland, and the Netherlands, as well as the Institut Français Istanbul, also contribute to Meetings on the Bridge.

The comprehensive training sessions offered to filmmakers every year by Meetings on the Bridge are further strengthened this year with the participation of 19:30 Film as the Training Programme Supporter. Taking place in March and April and covering a wide range of topics, from screenplay development to AI tools in filmmaking, this programme enables project owners to prepare for their international presentations and professional meetings in the most equipped manner.

Partnerships aimed at opening doors for filmmakers from Türkiye to participate in international training programmes are gaining momentum with the Tallinn Film Festival – Breaking into the Industry Mentorship Programme and Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival – Road to Clermont awards. Collaboration also continues with the Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg and MOIN Film Fund Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein within the framework of the German–Turkish Co-Production Development Fund. In this context, a total of 125,000 euros has been allocated to 10 co-productions this year. Additionally, two directors will travel to Berlin as guest artists through the BerlinAir programme..

The 21st Meetings on the Bridge project pitches will be held at Pera Museum, and the one-on-one meetings will take place at Borusan Music House. Cinema Talks, which are open to all cinema lovers and festival followers, will be hosted at Yapı Kredi Culture and Arts..

This year, Meetings on the Bridge joins forces with Istanbul CinéCollective, organised by Institut Français and Beykoz Kundura, to create a special platform. Within the scope of this cooperation, filmmakers from Armenia, Georgia, and Iran will have the opportunity to pitch their projects on the platform and meet with international cinema professionals..

A private roundtable will be held within Meetings on the Bridge to foster collaboration between India and Türkiye in film and series production. Initiated by the Embassy and Consulate of India, the meeting will bring together key industry stakeholders to explore concrete steps for co-production and content exchange. The Meetings on the Bridge Awards will be presented at the award ceremony on the evening of Thursday, 16 April..

Festival Tickets

Festival tickets can be purchased through the festival's official ticket provider, Passo or at the İKSV Passo box office.

Students can purchase their Eczacıbaşı Youth Tickets for 50 TL. This year, as in the previous edition, the quota for Eczacıbaşı Youth Tickets will be unlimited (subject to venue capacity) for all weekday daytime sessions.

Black and White Tulip Card members will be able to purchase their tickets with a 25% discount, while Red Tulip Card members will be able to purchase their tickets with a 15% discount.

Senior citizens aged 65 and over receive a 25% discount, while audiences with disabilities are eligible for a 50% discount on all screenings.

Festival Talk: Andrzej Wajda and His Legacy in Cinema History

Following the screening of Ashes and Diamonds, this festival talk explores the monumental career of Andrzej Wajda and his enduring significance in both Polish and global cinema. Led by esteemed film historian Bolesław Racięski, the session will delve into Wajda’s unique ability to transform historical turning points into profound cinematic language. By examining the director’s lifelong preoccupation with the intersection of history and individual fate, the discussion offers a comprehensive perspective on his heritage and why his artistic vision continues to resonate in contemporary cinema. Andrzej Wajda had received the Lifetime Achievement Award of Istanbul Film Festival in 2014. On the 100th anniversary of his birth, 2026 is declared Wajda Year by Poland.

* This talk is organised in collaboration with and with the generous support of the Consulate General of Poland in Istanbul and Adam Mickiewicz Institute; co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland.

The festival talk will take place on Tuesday, 14 April at Sinematek / Sinema Evi, following the 19.00 screening of Ashes and Diamonds in the Event Hall.

Exhibition: Picture-Perfect City

A journey through the cinematic reflections of a city that is the backdrop and the subject of a myriad of films. Realised with the contribution of TÜRVAK, Picture-Perfect City brings together film posters that capture the unique, inadvertent frames the city offers in its own natural rhythm ––illustrated posters of 34 films from the 1920s to the 1970s.

The exhibition will be open for visitors 7-17 April at Borusan Müzik Evi, Beyoğlu.

Panel Series: the Traces of the Screenplay

SenaristBir is bringing together film enthusiasts and industry professionals through a series of two in-depth panels focusing on the inner workings of our cinema and its fundamental challenges within the framework of Istanbul Film Festival. The Screenwriters’ Guild (SenaristBir) is the leading industry organisation, dedicated to protecting screenwriters’ copyrights, improving working conditions and enhancing the value of the screenplay as a work of art.

The two panels are titled: Do We Have to Be Auteurs? Being a Screenwriter in Independent Cinema! (panelists Pelin Esmer, Hüseyin Karabey), and Writing the Independent Independently (panelists Elif Eda (The Farm), Ferit Karahan). Moderated by Associate Professor Perihan Taş Öz, the panels will take place on April 13 at Yapı Kredi Kültür Sanat.

Supporters

The 45th Istanbul Film Festival will be organised with the support of numerous institutions and organisations.

N Kolay is the sponsor of the festival.
Anadolu Efes supports the festival as the High Contributing Organisation.
The Festival Partners are Kahve Dünyası, Zurich Insurance Group Türkiye, CUPRA, Ali Muhiddin Hacı Bekir, and Selpak.
Pera Museum Auditorium, Kadıköy Municipality Sinematek/Sinema Evi, Yapı Kredi Culture and Arts, and Borusan Music House are the festival’s Venue Sponsors this year.
The 45th Istanbul Film Festival is supported by the Goethe-Institut Istanbul, German Films, Istituto Italiano Istanbul, Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Istanbul, Consulate General of India in Istanbul, Institut Français, Unifrance, Embassy of Portugal / Instituto Camões, Embassy of Canada, Adam Mickiewicz Institute, Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Istanbul, Austrian Cultural Office, and Wallonie-Bruxelles International.
TÜRVAK, Soho House, Liszt Institute - Hungarian Cultural Centre Istanbul, Cervantes Institute, WFDiF, and Wajda School are among the festival supporters as Contributing Organizations.
Kültür AŞ (a subsidiary of the IMM Service and Communication Group), İGA, Panoeffect, Bina Outdoor Advertising, Üsküdar Municipality, Ataşehir Municipality, Oksijen, Fayn, Socrates, T24, Diken, CNCB-e, Haberturk, Bloomberg, Timeout, Karnaval Medya Grubu, Radyo Eksen, Kafa Radyo, Apaçık Radyo, Filmhafızası, Aditgen, Bundle and Medyascope provide promotional support to the festival.
In all festivals of the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts, Eczacıbaşı Group is the Founding Sponsor, The Marmara Group is the İKSV Accommodation and Venue Sponsor, Alarko Holding is the Sponsor of the İKSV 2026 Festivals Children and Youth Workshops, and Zurich Insurance Group Turkey is the İKSV Insurance Sponsor. The Service Sponsors of the festival are American Hospital, TEMPO BPO, Insider One, MindBehind, Plaza OSGB, GFK, SOMERA, boosmart, and Wiseback. As in previous years, we would like to thank KOOP for the technical support they provided to this edition of the festival.