TURKEY / Creation of a Eurimages Award for the Best Woman Director

To mark the 35th Istanbul Film Festival – the IKSV – which takes place from April 7^th to 17^th, the Council of Europe’s Eurimages Fund will inaugurate a new award designed to spotlight Euro-Mediterranean women directors. The Audentia Award will be given to one of the 15 films pre-selected from all categories and all films made by female directors.

In the 15 films which make up this year’s selection, a majority are the work of Mediterranean women, including six Turkish film-makers: Aslı Özge for “All Of A Sudden” Ahu Öztürk for “Dust Cloth”, Çiğdem Sezgin for “Wedding Dance” Senem TuZen for “Motherland” and Görkem Yeltan for “We Were Dining and I Decided”.

Also included are:

• Tunisia: Leyla Bouzid’s multi-award-winning film “A Peine J’ouvre Les Yeux”

• Romania: Anca Damian’s “The Magic Mountain.”

• Israel: Yaelle Kayam’s “Mountain”

• Palestine: Mai Masri’s “3,000 Nights”

• Greece: Athina Rachel Tsangari’s “Chevalier”

• Bulgaria: Svetla Tsotsorkova’s “Thirst”

• France: Lucile Hadžihalilović’s “Evolution”.

The name of the winner will be known on April 15^th and the trophy will be presented to her during the Istanbul Festival’s closing ceremony on April 17^th.

Each year the Audentia Award, worth €30,000, will be part of a different festival.

Source: Cineuropa