44th Istanbul Film Festival | Turkish Films of Golden Tulip Competition

Mavi Boncuk |

 

44th Istanbul Film Festival 11-22 April 2025

IIFF 2025 | Turkish Films of Golden Tulip Competition

THE SHALLOW TALE OF A WRITER WHO DECIDED TO WRITE ABOUT A SERIAL KILLER

Director: Tolga Karaçelik USA / 2025 / DCP / Colour / 102’ / English; Turkish s.t.Screenplay: Tolga KaraçelikDirector of Photography: Natalie KingstonEditing: Evren LuşMusic: Nathan KleinCast: Steve Buscemi, John Magaro, Britt Lower, Sydney Cole Alexander, Ward HortonProducer: Scott Aharoni, Sinan Eczacıbaşı, Alihan Yalçındağ, Wren Arthur, Steve Buscemi, Alex Peace Power, Mustafa Kaymak, Tolga KaraçelikProduction Co.: Cinegryphon Entertainment, Curious Gremlin, Asteros Film, Olive Productions, Theatriste, Pak Pictures, Mavi Baykuş (in association with)World Sales: UTA

International Premiere

2024 Tribeca (USA) Audience Award–Narrative Second Place

Keane, a struggling writer in the midst of a divorce, befriends a bizarre man named Kollmick, who claims to be Keane’s biggest fan and a retired serial killer. Kollmick tries to persuade a very drunk Keane to write about him, and incidentally becomes his marriage counsellor when he meets Keane’s wife Suzie. Of course, now he has to become Keane’s killing counsellor for his next book, too. Written and directed by Tolga Karaçelik, the dark comedy with a stellar cast had its world premiere at Spotlight Narrative Section at Tribeca Film Festival.

HYSTERIA

Director: Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay GERMANY / 2025 / DCP / Colour / 103’ / German, English, Arabic, Turkish, Kurdish; Turkish, English s.t.Screenplay: Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay Director of Photography: Christian KochmannEditing: Denys Darahan, Andreas Menn Cast: Devrim Lingnau İslamoğlu, Mehdi Meskar, Serkan Kaya, Nicolette Krebitz, Aziz Çapkurt, Nazmi KırıkProducer: Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay, Claus Herzog-Reichel Production Co.: filmfaust, ZDFWorld Sales: Pluto Film Distribution Network GmbH Turkish Rights: MUBI

International Premiere

2025 Berlin Europa Cinemas Label

Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay’s second feature that follows Oray starts with the filming of a provocative feature about the xenophobic arson attacks on German migrant residences in the 1990s. When a genuine Quran goes up in flames during the shooting, the incident infuriates everyone on set, fingers are pointed at the Turkish-German director, making accusations of racism. Caught in this confrontational crossfire is production intern, Elif, who soon realises that everybody involved has layered motivations and agendas at play. Offering unique and insightful observations, Hysteria tackles the subtle racism and hypocrisy that preoccupies thoughts about immigrants and foreign cultures. The film had its premiere at the Panorama section of the 2025 Berlinale.

IDEA

Director: Tayfun Pirselimoğlu TÜRKİYE, ROMANIA, FRANCE / 2025 / DCP / Colour / 93’ / Turkish; English s.t.Screenplay: Tayfun Pirselimoğlu Director of Photography: Andreas Sinanos Editing: Ali Aga Music: Nikos Kypourgos Art Director: Natali Yeres Cast: Tarhan Karagöz, Nalan Kuruçim, Ercan Kesal, Jale Arıkan Producer: Vildan Erşen Co-Producer: Vlad Radulescu, Guillaume de Seille, TRT Sinema Production Co.: Mitra Films World Sales: Mitra Films

Türkiye Premiere

Kemal works as a watchman in a villa belonging to a shady businessman. One day, late at night when he’s on the bus, a peculiar man gets on, sits nearby, leaves a book on his seat, and gets off. Kemal aimlessly browses through the pages of the book titled IDEA, and puts it back down. His life turns into living hell after that night. He is accused of an unspecified crime, and all his attempts to figure things out are in vain. Thereafter, he is treated as the leader of a secret organisation and he finds himself gradually turning into that person.

NEW DAWN FADES

YENİ ŞAFAK SOLARKEN

Director: Gürcan KeltekTÜRKİYE, ITALY, GERMANY, NORWAY, THE NETHERLANDS / 2024 / DCP / Colour / 130’ / Turkish; English s.t.Screenplay: Gürcan KeltekDirector of Photography: Peter ZeitlingerEditing: Murat Gültekin, Semih GülenMusic: Son of PhilipCast: Cem Yiğit Üzümoğlu, Ayla Algan, Erol Babaoğlu, Suzan Kardeş, Dilan Düzgüner, Gürkan GedikliProducer: Arda ÇiltepeCo-Producer: Manuela Buono, Marc Van Goethem, Stefan Gieren, Fernanda RennoProduction Co.: Vigo FilmWorld Sales: Heretic

It’s been years since Akın has been in and out of the hospital. He’s relentless, angry, and shell-shocked from being stuck in the system. Since his most recent discharge, he’s now well aware that his old life is long gone. He has become unable to leave his family house except for occasional visits to religious monuments in Istanbul. During those visits, he falls into a state of ecstasy as he tries to take refuge in God. These divine structures trigger something in him. As he loses touch with his true self, his mind shifts into another reality. New Dawn Fades had its world premiere at Locarno Film Festival.

I’M HERE, I’M FINE

BURADAYIM, İYİYİM

Director: Emine Emel Balcı TÜRKİYE, GERMANY / 2025 / DCP / Colour / 100’ / Turkish; English s.t.Screenplay: Emine Emel Balcı Director of Photography: Murat Tuncel Editing: Eytan İpeker, Melike Kasaplar Music: Andreas LucasArt Director: Meral Efe Yurtseven Cast: Bige Önal, Elit İşcan, Görkem Mertsöz, Mustafa Sönmez, Elçin Atamgüç, Ayhan Kavas, Ayşe Lebriz Berkem, Uygar BodurProducer: Dilek Aydın, Emine Emel BalcıCo-Producer: Jens Meurer, Derya TürkmenProduction Co.: Heimatlos Films, Prolog FilmWorld Sales: Heimatlos Films & Prolog Film

World Premiere

Filiz, a young, working mother, struggles with postpartum depression. Seeking moments of escape, she sets out to buy ‘a car of her own.’ Along the way, Filiz meets Şule, and her search for a car turns into an unexpected bond, offering both women a chance at solidarity.

THE THINGS YOU KILL

ÖLDÜRDÜĞÜN ŞEYLER

Director: Alireza KhatamiFRANCE, POLAND, CANADA, TÜRKİYE / 2024 / DCP / Colour / 113’ / Turkish; English s.t.Screenplay: Alireza KhatamiDirector of Photography: Bartosz SwiniarskiEditing: Selda Taşkın, Alireza KhatamiArt Director: Meral AktanCast: Ekin Koç, Erkan Kolçak Köstendil, Hazar Ergüçlü, Ercan KesalProducer: Elisa Sepulveda-Ruddoff, Cyriac Auriol, Mariusz Włodarski, Alireza Khatami, Michael SolomonCo-Producer: Marta Gmosińska, Ekin Koç, Cenk ÜnalerzenProduction Co.: Fulgurance, Remora Films, Lava Films, Tell Tall Tale, Band With Pictures, SineaktifWorld Sales: Best Friend Forever

+16

Balkan Premiere

2025 Sundance Directing Award: World Cinema Dramatic

Haunted by the suspicious death of his ailing mother, a university professor coerces his enigmatic gardener to execute a cold-blooded act of vengeance. But as his family and the authorities investigate the old man’s disappearance, Ali begins to doubt the rightness of his actions. Iranian filmmaker Alireza Khatami wrote, directed, and co-produced The Things You Kill, which premiered at Sundance Film Festival.

AND THE REST WILL FOLLOW

O DA BİR ŞEY Mİ

Director: Pelin Esmer TÜRKİYE, BULGARIA, ROMANIA / 2025 / DCP / Colour / 115’ / Turkish; English s.t.Screenplay: Pelin Esmer Director of Photography: Barbu BalasoiuEditing: Özcan VardarArt Director: Elif Taşçıoğlu Cast: Timuçin Esen, Merve Asya Özgür, İpek Bilgin, Nur Sürer, Mehmet Kurtuluş, Şebnem Hassanisoughi, Asiye Dinçsoy, Sermet Yeşil, Fehmi Karaarslan, Laçin Ceylan, Deniz Karaoğlu, Oğuz KaraProducer: Dilde Mahalli, Pelin Esmer, Kerem Çatay Co-Producer: Poli Angelova, Nikolay Todorov, Tudor GiurgiuProduction Co.: Sine Film, Rosa Film, Ay Yapım World Sales: Sine Film, Rosa Film, Ay Yapım

10+

Türkiye Premiere

Celebrated film director Levent, the guest of honour at the Söke Film Festival from Istanbul, is completely unaware of Aliye, a twenty-something housekeeper at the hotel where he is staying. But Aliye, who is trying to make a new life for herself, knows Levent and his films very well. Aliye’s intriguing story brings together these two distant people with completely different lives. Now they must choose between reality and fiction. And The Rest Will Follow had its world premiere at Rotterdam Film Festival.

THE FLYING MEATBALL MAKER

UÇAN KÖFTECİ

Director: Rezan Yeşilbaş TÜRKİYE, GERMANY, BULGARIA / 2025 / DCP / Colour / 106’ / Turkish, Kurdish; Turkish, English s.t. Screenplay: Rezan Yeşilbaş Director of Photography: Dilşat CananEditing: Osman Bayraktaroğlu, Yaşar Buğra Dedeoğlu, Rezan Yeşilbaş Cast: Nazmi Kırık, Selin Yeninci, Aram Dildar, Cahit Şahin Yalçın, Aslı Işık, Ali Bengin YeşilbaşProducer: Rezan Yeşilbaş, Azat Yeşilbaş Production Co.: Rez FilmWorld Sales: Rez Film

Türkiye Premiere

Kadir, a meatball vendor, discovers that he can realise his long-standing desire to fly thanks to a device called a ‘paramotor’, a powered parachute. From that moment on, he starts to practise parachuting hopefully and tirelessly. This extraordinary dream is widely considered utterly odd, provocative, and even causes him to be heavily criticised. Moreover, due to the political mood in the city, this passion for flying causes unexpected incidents, absurd as a threat to airspace security. Despite everything he goes through, Kadir does not give up on his dream and his passion for gliding in the sky with his colourful parachute. The Flying Meatball Maker had its world premiere at Rotterdam Film Festival.