The 43rd Istanbul Film Festival, organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) and sponsored by N Kolay, was concluded with an award ceremony held on 28 April at Atlas 1948. A total of 51 films competed in the international and national competitions of the festival.
At the award ceremony, the winners of the International and National Competitions, the National Short Film and National Documentary Competitions, the Young Master Award, Seyfi Teoman Best Debut Film Prize were revealed. The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) also presented three awards at the ceremony.
43rd ISTANBUL FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS
17-28 April 2024
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
Golden Tulip Best Film (in memory of Şakir Eczacıbaşı)
Forever-Forever / Nazavzhdy-Nazavzhdy / Anna Buryachkova (Ukraine, The Netherlands)
Special Jury Prize
Sweet Dreams / Ena Sendijarević (The Netherlands, France, Indonesia, Sweden)
YOUNG MASTER AWARD given by the Nespresso Youth Jury
Hoard / Luna Carmoon (United Kingdom)
“This debut film, in which the themes of abuse, trauma and grief are treated from a common but unique and personal point of view, disturbed us at times and moved us at times with its consistent and striking vision. The stylistic preferences adopted to describe the shocking world established in the film had an energy and dynamism that reflected the director’s youth. For all these reasons and more, we, the members of the Nespresso Young Jury, decided to give the Young Master Award to this film”.
NATIONAL SHORT FILM COMPETITION
Best Short Film
Eksi Bir / Minus One / Ömer Ferhat Özmen
“For its skilful management of the viewpoint and handling of each character within the world it has constructed, and for conveying the delusions in the panorama of Turkey to the audience in a strong and simple language”.
Special Mention
Zarafet ve Şiddet Arasında / Between Delicate and Violent / Şirin Bahar Demirel
“For its strong and original visual language based on a personal story, its layered structure that interacts between the reality of the past and the imagination of the present, and its striking story”.
SEYFİ TEOMAN BEST DEBUT FILM PRIZE
Best Debut Film
Büyük Kuşatma / The Grand Siege / Sinan Kesova
“In addition to its bold visual choices, The Grand Siege by Sinan Kesova, whose second film we will eagerly await with great curiosity, presents us with an original story that has not been told much, with a dose of clever irony and a sense of humour that surrounds the film from beginning to end”.
Special Mention
Başlangıçlar / Inpaintings / Ozan Yoleri
“For heralding a director making his feature debut with his mature, decisive cinematic language, aesthetic integrity, and the unusual, original story he tells”.
NATIONAL DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
Best Documentary
Dargeçit / Hold Still / Berke Baş
“Unanimously, for once again reminding us of the inevitable connection of documentary cinema with the search for justice since its emergence, with its simple and consistent aesthetics, and its gentle and subtle language”.
Special Mention
Domates, Biber, Depresyon / Tomato, Pepper, Depression / Aybüke Avcı
“For a creative portrayal of a disease that affects us all, with universal language and brilliant humour”.
FIPRESCI PRIZES
International Competition
Forever-Forever / Nazavzhdy-Nazavzhdy / Anna Buryachkova (Ukraine, The Netherlands)
“A portrait of adolescent dynamics in the 1990s within a climate of social and political unrest. It speaks in an innovative way about young sexuality, violence, abuse, and the definition of female roles in an Eastern European patriarchal society facing wild capitalism. The director succeeded creating a swiftly paced narrative and obtaining intense and deep performances from a young cast”.
National Competition
Tereddüt Çizgisi / Hesitation Wound / Selman Nacar
“A dynamic and complex courtroom drama focused on an exceptional female character with whom we are drawn into a bleak legal system falling pieces every passing minute. A tight script, a confident directing and editing, a brilliant performance are the top characteristics of this exceptional film”.
National Short Film Competition
Beyaz Dağın Çocukları / Children of the White Mountain / Yalçın Çiftçi
“The film builds a genuine story about childhood and community while it shines out with its warmth and sincerity. The tenderness and simplicity combined with the audio-visual narrative stays with the audience for some time”.
NATIONAL COMPETITION
Golden Tulip Best Film
Yurt / Dormitory / Nehir Tuna
Kariyo & Ababay Foundation Special Jury Prize (in memory of Onat Kutlar)
Bildiğin Gibi Değil / Not What You Think / Vuslat Saraçoğlu
Best Director
Selman Nacar (Tereddüt Çizgisi / Hesitation Wound)
Best Screenplay
Vuslat Saraçoğlu (Bildiğin Gibi Değil / Not What You Think)
Best Actor
Alican Yücesoy & Serdar Orçin (Bildiğin Gibi Değil / Not What You Think)
Best Actress
Tülin Özen (Tereddüt Çizgisi / Hesitation Wound)
Best Cinematographer
Florent Herry (Yurt / Dormitory)
Best Original Music
Doğan Duru (Son Hasat / The Reeds)
Best Editing
Naim Kanat (Bildiğin Gibi Değil / Not What You Think)
Best Art Director
Nadide Argun van Uden (Beraber / Belonging)
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