The first press conference of the International Fantasİstanbul 2024 Film Festival was held on September 19, 2024, Thursday at Kadıköy Cinema. Hosted by actor Emrah Kaman, the press conference featured the festival’s Artistic Director, Kerem Akça, who shared details about the festival and the films with visuals. The meeting was attended by jury members Özge Özberk, Pelin Akil Altan, producer Şirvan Yılmaz Kırtel, Filmsan Foundation executives, and members of the press.
Kerem Akça stated, “Screenings will take place at Torun Center Cinemas.” He added, “We wanted to present a selection guaranteed to feature original films and create a festival that will continue for years to come.”
Major Names on the Advisory Board of the “Original Film Guarantee” Fantasİstanbul
Fantasİstanbul will take place in Istanbul from September 20 to 26, 2024, under the motto “Original Film Guarantee.” This year, the festival’s Advisory Board includes prominent figures such as Asuman Dabak, Taylan Kardeşler, Ömer Faruk Sorak, and Alex Proyas.
Terry Gilliam Awarded the “Contribution to Fantastic Cinema Award”
The “Contribution to Fantastic Cinema Award” of Fantasİstanbul has been awarded to Terry Gilliam, known as one of the founders of the comedy group “Monty Python” and a creator of fantastic masterpieces. Gilliam expressed his gratitude with a humorous video message titled “Turkish Delight.”
Kerem Akça: “Ten Films Will Compete in the National Category”
In this category, ten distinguished examples of Turkish cinema will greet the audience.
NATIONAL COMPETITION
Osman Sekiz (2021) (112 min) (FESTIVAL PREMIERE)
Director: Ezel Akay
Cast: Tim Seyfi, Begüm Birgören
Synopsis: An agoraphobic man who never leaves his old house finds his life complicated as he struggles to enter the social world. Osman takes the risk of leaving his home.
Aşk Falan Filan (2023) (108 min) (ISTANBUL PREMIERE)
Director: Hasan Başoğlu
Cast: Ayfer Tokatlı, Özgür Cem Tuğluk
Synopsis: Adam and Eve are in their thirties, struggling with illness. They come together on their third anniversary.
Avcı İlk Kehanet (2021) (82 min) (FESTIVAL PREMIERE)
Director: Onur Aldoğan
Cast: Gürbey İleri, Turgay Badur
Synopsis: The film follows the hunter Phaldor and archaeology student Melis on a challenging and fantastic journey toward the fate of the world, brought together by the first prophecy. Gürbey İleri, known for his roles in “Muhteşem Yüzyıl” and “Kaderimin Yazıldığı Gün,” stars in the film.
Bir Kar Tanesinin Ömrü (2022) (111 min) (ISTANBUL PREMIERE)
Director: Kazım Öz
Cast: İsmail Zagros, Sema Gültekin
Synopsis: How long does a snowflake live? How does the life cycle work? Does it melt when it touches the ground? In Trabzon, the snow blows fiercely like never before, and the roads are blocked.
Cenaze (2023) (109 min) (TURKEY PREMIERE)
Director: Orçun Behram
Cast: Gizem Erdem, Ahmet Rıfat Şungar
Synopsis: Ahmet drives a funeral car for the dead, transporting a young girl at the request of his family. But things quickly spiral out of control.
Dissosiye (2024) (127 min) (WORLD PREMIERE)
Director: Gurur Bozkurt
Cast: Uzay Gökhan Irmak, Burcak Arya Göçmen
Synopsis: A man trapped in dilemmas faces a nightmare at midnight. A modern art piece that leaves its surprises until the end.
Eflatun (2022) (103 min)
Director: Cüneyt Karakuş
Cast: Kerem Bursin, İrem Helvacıoğlu
Synopsis: Eflatun, who lost his sight at the age of five, uses echolocation methods learned from his father to navigate life, working in a clock repair shop he inherited from him, creating a world where reality and fantasy intertwine.
Iguana Tokyo (2022) (82 min)
Director: Kaan Müjdeci
Cast: Saadet Işıl Aksoy, Ertan Saban
Synopsis: A simple family begins to live in two different worlds. As the line between reality and fantasy blurs, a computer game takes control of the world.
Kerr (2021) (101 min)
Director: Tayfun Pirselimoğlu
Cast: Erdem Şenocak, Rıza Akın
Synopsis: Can witnesses a murder. The police do not allow him to leave after his confession. Meanwhile, a quarantine involving rabid dogs is about to become active.
Mitat (2023) (101 min) (FESTIVAL PREMIERE)
Director: Süleyman Arda Eminçe
Cast: Kadir Doğulu, Bülent Çolak
Synopsis: The life of Mitat Karaman, who leads an extremely ordinary life going from home to work and back, changes one night when he wakes up to a doorbell and opens the apartment door through the intercom.
Kerem Akça: “Ten Films Will Compete in the International Category”
The festival will feature ten films competing in the international category, showcasing a diverse selection of world cinema.
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION (TURKEY PREMIERE)
- Fairytale (2022) (78 min)
Director: Alexander Sokurov
Cast: Igor Gromov, Vakhtang Kuchava
Synopsis: A civil and artistic outcry. An essay on fascism, interpreting Russian newspaper comments through interactions with Ukraine. - Conann (2023) (105 min)
Director: Bertrand Mandico
Cast: Elina Löwensohn, Christa Theret
Synopsis: Conan’s life unfolds across different scenes, from Sumerian times to the future, all reflecting a unique aesthetic and rhythm, echoing the #MeToo era’s approach to heroism. - Darla in Space (2024) (94 min)
Directors: Eric Laplante, Susie Moon
Cast: Alex E. Harris, Rasheda Crookett
Synopsis: Darla Peterson owes $349,000.22 to the IRS. A tea called “Mother” helps her orgasmically pay off her debts. Is this paradise or something else? - Sparta (2022) (101 min)
Director: Ulrich Seidl
Cast: Georg Friedrich, Octavian-Nicolae Cocis
Synopsis: A sequel to Seidl’s “Rimini,” focusing on the story of Richie Bravo’s brother. It becomes a site of an extraordinary relationship in a dystopian orphanage. - Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person (2023) (90 min)
Director: Ariane Louis-Seize
Cast: Sara Montpetit, Steve Laplante
Synopsis: Young vampire Sasha struggles against her craving for blood while dealing with her angry family. She meets Paul, who can’t find solutions to his suicidal sensitivities. - The Sweet East (2023) (104 min)
Director: Sean Price Williams
Cast: Talia Ryder, Simon Rex
Synopsis: Senior student Lillian embarks on a journey from South Carolina to the East Coast of the US, playfully connecting briefly to Dorothy. - Broadway (2022) (97 min)
Director: Christos Massalas
Cast: Elisa Lekakou, Stathis Apostolou
Synopsis: Street singers and pickpockets gather at a makeshift venue called “Broadway Stoa.” The release of one member from prison complicates matters. - Cidade Campo (2024) (119 min)
Director: Juliana Rojas
Cast: Fernanda Vianna, Mirella Façanha
Synopsis: Two immigrant stories intertwine, dealing with dreams and ghosts. After a disaster, Joana moves to São Paulo. - The Invisible Fight (2023) (115 min)
Director: Rainer Sarnet
Cast: Ursel Tilk, Ester Kuntu
Synopsis: A guard on the Soviet-Chinese border becomes a monk after a deadly virus outbreak, leading to an exploration of existence. - Mammalia (2023) (88 min)
Director: Sebastian Mihailescu
Cast: Istvan Teglas, Malina Menovici
Synopsis: Carmen, 39, embarks on a surreal journey, caught between losing and not losing herself, discovering a world among rituals.
Kerem Akça: “Our Fantastic Gala Category Features 6 Films”
Akça announced that six films will compete in the festival’s Fantastic Gala category, under the motto “Original Film Guarantee.”
FANTASTIC GALAS
They Shot The Piano Player (2022) (103 min)
Directors: Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal
Cast: Jeff Goldblum, Tony Ramos
Synopsis: The true story of Bossa Nova is narrated through interviews with Brazilian singers, following journalist Jeff Harris’s journey from New York to Rio, experiencing the influence of pianist Tenorio on Nova.
The People’s Joker: Opening Film (2022) (92 min)
Director: Vera Drew
Cast: Vera Drew, Lynn Downey
Synopsis: In a dystopian universe ruled by Batman, the character rebels 15 years later in Harlequin’s body, embarking on an improvised anti-sketch comedy.
Another End (2024) (129 min)
Director: Piero Messina
Cast: Gael Garcia Bernal, Renato Reinsve
Synopsis: Two people who love each other deeply continue to do so, but when one commits suicide, everything unravels.
Between The Temples (2024) (111 min)
Director: Nathan Silver
Cast: Jason Schwartzman, Carol Kane
Synopsis: Choir conductor Ben Gottlieb struggles with faith and stops singing, prompting Carla to challenge his fast.
Divinity (2023) (88 min)
Director: Eddie Alcazar
Cast: Stephen Dorff, Bella Thorne
Synopsis: Scientist Sterling is drawn into an entirely different human abyss, questioning his existence amid constructed blocks, embarking on a journey for immortality through a unique “Divinity serum.”
Realm of Satan (2024) (80 min)
Director: Scott Cummings
Cast: Blanche Barton, Peter H. Gilmore
Synopsis: An experimental fictional experience exploring a ritual dedicated to cannibalism, delving into the current state of Satanists.
