Overview

!f Istanbul Independent Film Festival was founded in 2001 and every February and March, it hosts some 85,000 film buffs and celebrated filmmakers from around the world. Dedicated to showcasing the best in contemporary film, !f believes that the shared experience of cinema is a form of activism that has the power to connect people across borders and boundaries of all description. The festival is curated and based on thematic sections, some of which change every year to reflect issues that are gripping the world's - and filmmakers'- imagination. Through !f ², a ground-breaking alternative film distribution and sharing project, !f shares the festival spirit with 33 cities in Turkey, Palestine, Armenia and Cyprus. In 2008, !f launched an international film competition - !f Inspired- designed to showcase emerging directors who are taking film in new directions. The competition carries a $10,000 prize for the Most Inspired Director. Love & Change, launched in 2014 is an international platform hosting not only films but also filmmakers who look at the world through critical eyes and with soft hearts, believe that another world is possible, and who prove to us, through their work, that cinematic interventions can make a change. Competition contributes to dream of another world with an award of $10,000. 16th !f Istanbul will be held between February 16th to 26th in Istanbul. Visit ifistanbul.com/en for more information.