29th International Istanbul Film Festival kicks off in Turkey

The 29th International Istanbul Film Festival kicked off here on Saturday, bringing together more than 200 films from 57 countries.

The festival, organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts, will continue till April 18, according to the semi- official Anatolia news agency.

A series of meetings, panel discussions, workshops and seminars will also take place on the sidelines of the festival.

Eleven films competing for the International Golden Tulip Awards are as follows: "Gainsbourg" by Joann Sfar, "Nowhere Boy" by Sam Taylor Wood, "All that I Love" by Jacek Borcuch, " Mademoiselle Chambon" by Stephane Brize, "I Killed My Mother" by Xavier Dolan, "Undertow" by Javier Fuentes-Leo, "V.O.S." by Cesc Gay, "The Last Station" by Michael Hoffman, "Face" by Tsai Ming- Liang, "Phobidilia" by Yoav Paz and Doron Paz, and "The Misfortunates" by Felix Van Groeningen.

The awards will be given at a ceremony on April 17.

The Council of Europe Film Award (FACE) will be given to a film that raises public awareness and interest in human rights issues and creates better understanding of their importance.

This year's jury president is Marco Bechis, who won the award last year with his film "Birdwatchers."

The International Istanbul Film Festival was first held in 1982 and has grown to become one of the biggest film festivals in the country, attracting thousands of visitors each year.

Source:Xinhua