TURKEY / Solidarity observed by women film-makers in Istanbul

From March 12th to 20th Istanbul hosts the 14th Filmmor Women’s Film Festival: this year’s theme “Solidarity between women keeps women alive”.

This political event, featuring films from national and international women directors, wants to encourage and increase the presence of women in film and other media.

70 films from 30 countries were selected from 300 received. Although the festival does not have a competitive section, there are two types of award: the Purple Camera Award for the most promising director, and the Golden Okras, “anti-awards” given to the most sexist Turkish films of the year.

Among this year’s various themed sections is a panorama on “Women’s Cinema in the Middle East and North Africa”.

There will be a retrospective of the work of Belgian director Chantal Akerman, who died in 2015 aged 65. 15 of her 42 films will be shown, including her last documentary, “No Home Movie”.

After a week in Istanbul, the festival will travel the whole breadth of southern Turkey, from Izmir to Van passing through Antioch, for more days of screenings and consciousness-raising.

Click here to access the complete programme of the Filmmor festival.

Sources : Hürriyet, Today’s Zaman