The eagerly awaited 32nd IFSAK Short Film Festival, one of Turkey’s most established short film events, started on Monday, March 9, 2026, with a strong program. Screenings will meet cinema lovers for free until March 15 at IFSAK, Beyoğlu Cinema, Sahne Pulchérie, Metrohan, Sismanoglio Megaro, and Beylikdüzü Atatürk Culture and Art Center. The festival brings together filmmakers and audiences with national competition finalists, as well as non-competitive international short films and documentaries, discussions, and masterclasses.

National Competition Short Films
The National Section of the 32nd IFSAK Short Film Festival consists of productions that passed the pre-selection in the 46th IFSAK National Short Film and Documentary Competition. A total of 36 short films are featured in the festival program: 13 in Fiction, 11 in Documentary, 7 in Experimental, and 5 in Animation categories. This selection offers a unique opportunity for audiences looking to discover new and creative voices from all over Turkey.

International Selection
The festival’s non-competitive International Selection draws attention to one of contemporary cinema’s prominent areas of discussion by focusing on themes of women’s labor and invisible labor. The films, ranging from women’s and body politics to the often-unnoticed forms of production in daily life, invite viewers to contemplate the aesthetic and political layers of labor together. Productions touching upon global crises, war, and migration add a multi-layered perspective opening onto today’s world to the selection. Bringing together short films that have won awards at important festivals around the world, the selection also includes productions having their Turkey premiere.

International Programs and Guest Directors
The festival’s international dimension is enriched by contributions from numerous cultural institutions. The British Council contributes to the 32nd IFSAK Short Film Festival program with its selection “Reclaim, Reframe, Rejoice,” focusing on women’s stories as part of International Women’s Day. The Istanbul Cervantes Institute participates with a special three-film selection centered on the theme of women’s labor. The Liszt Institute Hungarian Cultural Center Istanbul is featured in the program with a selection predominantly directed by women. A special screening of Greek short films will take place at Sismanoglio Megaro. A discussion with director Marta Capossela will follow the screening of her film “Misure,” supported by the Italian Cultural Center and Com.It.Es Istanbul. Aslı Bildirici, attending the festival upon the invitation of the Dutch Consulate, stands out among the prominent guests of the international selection with her film “Rotten.” Bogdan Mureșanu, participating with the support of the Romanian Cultural Center, will hold a masterclass as well as a discussion with Dumitru Grosei on “Contemporary Romanian Cinema and Short Films.” Additionally, producer Nadia Kanwal is a guest of the festival upon the invitation of the Consulate General of India. The Austrian Cultural Office and the Institut Français are among the festival’s institutional supporters with their short film support.

Award Ceremony and Cinema Labor Award
At the award ceremony to be held on Saturday, March 14, at 16:00 at the Sainte Pulchérie High School Performance Hall, the “IFSAK Cinema Labor Award,” given each year to those who make significant contributions to the cinema sector, will find its owner, alongside the 46th IFSAK National Short Film and Documentary Competition awards. At the ceremony, the “IFSAK Cinema Labor Award” will be presented to Gülsen Tuncer, a theater, TV series, and film actress, voice artist, lyricist, composer, art director, and academician.

Festival Closing
The 32nd IFSAK Short Film Festival will close on Sunday, March 15, following special screenings of the award-winning films from the 46th IFSAK National Short Film and Documentary Competition at IFSAK and Beylikdüzü Atatürk Culture and Art Center.

DISCUSSIONS AND SPECIAL EVENTS

From Short to Feature-Length Discussion – Guest: Hüseyin Karabey
March 9, 2026, 20:00 – IFSAK
Hüseyin Karabey, who won the “Best Director” award at the Tribeca Film Festival with his first feature film “Gitmek: My Marlon and Brando” and received numerous “Best Film” and “Audience Awards” for “Come to My Voice,” is one of the important names in contemporary Turkish cinema. The director’s two short films, Hiçbir Karanlık Unutturamaz (No Darkness Can Make Forget) and F tipi film (Hücre A3) (F-type film – Cell A3), will be screened, followed by a discussion.

In Memoriam: Ali Özgentürk
March 10, 2026, 20:00 – BEYOĞLU CINEMA
A special program dedicated to director, screenwriter, and producer Ali Özgentürk, who passed away on May 15, 2025, will be held at the Festival. Speakers at the event will include Halil Ergün, Necati Doğru, Işıl Özgentürk, and Nebil Özgentürk. Following the screening of the portrait documentary prepared by Zafer Özgentürk and Ali Özgentürk’s short film Yasak (Forbidden – 1975), the director’s cinematic approach will be discussed through different testimonies.

Special Screening: ‘Koleksiyoncu’ (The Collector – 2002) and Discussion with Pelin Esmer
March 11, 2026, 20:00 – BEYOĞLU CINEMA
Director, producer, and screenwriter Pelin Esmer, who is on the main competition jury this year, will meet the audience with her 2002 documentary Koleksiyoncu (The Collector) as part of the 32nd IFSAK Short Film Festival’s special screening program. In a special discussion following the screening, Pelin Esmer will come together with the audience, moderated by Somnur Vardar.

“Seeing Music on the Screen”: Use of Music in Cinema – Guest: Erdal Güney
March 12, 2026, 20:00 – METROHAN
Composer, writer, and academician Erdal Güney will hold a discussion on film music within the festival scope. Known for his productions focusing on the creative relationship between cinema and music, Güney addresses music as a fundamental element of narrative through his wide-ranging work encompassing film and TV series scores and albums, and his multifaceted artistic practice.

Masterclass – Guest Director: Bogdan Mureșanu
March 14, 2026, 14:00 – SAHNE PULCHÉRIE
Screenwriter, director, and producer Bogdan Mureșanu, participating in the festival with contributions from the Istanbul Dimitrie Cantemir Romanian Cultural Center, will meet cinephiles in a masterclass at the festival following the screening of his 2025 animated short film “The Magician” at Sahne Pulchérie. Known for his narrative that brings together collective memory and individual stories, Mureșanu is recognized as one of the prominent creative voices of contemporary European cinema.

For detailed information and the program: www.ifsak.org.tr