Organized by the Bosphorus Culture and Arts Foundation to be held on 23-30 October, the 9th Bosphorus Film Festival International Feature Competition Films have been announced. Ten films that have competed and won awards in numerous national and international festivals will be competing in the International Feature Competition.

Films competing in front of the jury consisting of Anne Delseth, Kamyar Mohsenin, Hilal Baydarov, Svetla Tsotsorkova and Yoshi Yatabe in the international feature competition are  Juja Dobrachkous’ Bebia, My Only Desire, world-premiered at the 50^th Rotterdam Film Festival, about seventeen-year-old Ariadna returning home for the funeral of her grandmother, crossing the unspoiled Georgian countryside to connect her grandmother’s soul with her resting body in an ancient burial custom, Susana Nobre’s Jack’s Ride, world-premiered at the 71st Berlin Film Festival Berlinale Forum, about 63 year old and almost retired Joaquim who is forced to apply to companies he does not want to work at and collect stamps so he can get unemployment benefits, Isabel Lamberti’s first feature Last Days Of Spring, premiered at the 68th San Sebastian Film Festival, about a shanty town near Madrid, where the inhabitants are forced to leave their self-built homes because the land they live on is sold, Shujun Wei’s Ripples Of Life, premiered at the 74th Cannes Film Festival Directors’ Fortnight, about a crew coming to a small town in southern China for the pre-production of a film called Ripples of Life and the unexpected events that follow, Han Shuai’s Summer Blur, that won the 71st Berlin Film Festival Generation Kplus Best Film award and the 25th Busan Film Festival FIPRESCI award, about a teenage girl tiptoeing around dysfunctional families and the fatal drowning accident of her playmate finding herself deep in the sludge of empty promises and undesired infatuation as adolescent inhibitions wedge her into the corner, Kiro Russo’s The Great Movement, that won the Orizzonti Special Jury Prize at the 78th Venice Film Festival, about the mysterious illness of a young miner searching for a job together with his friends, Ahmet Toklu’s The Hoop, world-premiered at the 51st Giffoni Film Festival, about the story of Ahmet who tries to find a way for a basketball court in his neighbourhood where there is no place to play, Chema Garcia Ibarra’s first feature The Sacred Spirit, premiered at the 74th Locarno Film Festival, about José Manuel, a man with an ordinary life, attending the weekly meetings of the ufology association and him being the only person left who knows the cosmic secret after the death of their leader, Cristina Grosan’s Things Worth Weeping For, world-premiered at the 27th Sarajevo Film Festival Official Competition, about the story of people in their 30s who try to meet serious grown-up expectations when their lives do not actually have much in common with typical adulthood, and Hajni Kis’ Wild Roots, competing for the 55th Karlovy Vary Film Festival East of West award, about a father and daughter getting to know each other after seven years without contact, whilst realising their strong connection and how powerful forgiveness can be.

50.000 TL cash prize for the Best International Film!

Among the selection jury members for demanding films having their Turkish premiere at the 9th Bosphorus Film Festival are Anne Delseth who is the member of Cannes Directors’ Fortnight selection committee since 2012, member of Locarno Film Festival 2018 selection committee and Zurich Film Festival consultant, Kamyar Mohsenin who is the board member of Fajr International Film Festival as the Manager of International Relations and Programming Director since 2016, director Hilal Baydarov from Azerbaijan whose second feature In Between Dying world-premiered in the Venice Film Festival Official Competition last year, director Svetla Tsotsorkova whose second feature Sister world-premiered at San Sebastian Film Festival New Directors Competition in 2019 where it received Special Mention award and won the Best International Feature award at the 8^th Bosphorus Film Festival, and Yoshi Yatabe who oversaw the International Competition section and served as Programming Director at the Tokyo International Film Festival.

With the support of the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism General Directorate of Cinema, official partnership of TRT and support of Global Communications Partner Anadolu Agency, organized by the Bosphorus Culture and Arts Foundation, ten films in the International Feature Film Competition will be competing to receive the 50.000 TL cash prize for the Best International Feature, 15.000 TL for the Best Director, 10.000 TL for the Best Actress, 10.000 TL for the Best Actor and 10.000 TL Special Jury Prize, a total of 95.000 TL worth of cash prizes in 5 categories.

Festival Tickets Will Be On Sale October 13th!

National and international films will meet audiences at the 7-day Bosphorus Film Festival this year. Alongside internationally acclaimed film professionals, the festival will also host significant people in the sector. The 9th Bosphorus Film Festival screenings will be held at Atlas 1948 and Kadıköy cinemas.

Festival tickets will be on sale October 13 on mobilet.com and at the box office. Festival tickets for 1p.m. and 4p.m. screenings are 10 TL, 6p.m. and 9p.m. screenings are 15 TL. Short film screenings are 5 TL!

Important Notice on Covid-19 Restrictions

As of September 6, 2021 Monday entries into events including concerts, cinemas, theaters, and crowded events will require a negative PCR test taken 48 hours prior to the event for persons who are unvaccinated. Managers/organizers will be required to examine HES code for vaccination/contracted disease (scientifically accepted post-Covid­19 immunity period) or a negative PCR test taken 48 hours prior to the event at the entrance. Individuals who have not contracted the disease, have not been vaccinated, or do not show a negative PCR test will not be allowed to participate in the event.

9th Bosphorus Film Festival International Feature Competition Films

BEBIA, MY ONLY DESIRE - Juja Dobrachkous, UK, Georgia

JACK’S RIDE- Susana Nobre, Portugal

LAST DAYS OF SPRING - Isabel Lamberti, the Netherlands, Spain

RIPPLES OF LIFE - Shujun Wei, China

SUMMER BLUR - Han Shuai, China

THE GREAT MOVEMENT - Kiro Russo, Bolivia, Qatar, France, Switzerland, UK

THE HOOP - Ahmet Toklu, Turkey

THE SACRED SPIRIT - Chema García Ibarra, Spain, France, Turkey

THINGS WORTH WEEPING FOR - Cristina Grosan, Hungary

WILD ROOTS - Hajni Kis, Hungary, Slovakia