This year's festival is divided under 12 main categories and will also host Iranian feminist director Tahmineh Milani.
While a total of 94 films by 75 directors from 25 countries are to be shown at the festival, Milani's "Fifth Reaction", "Unwanted Woman", "Oh Fairytale" and "What Did You Do Again" are expected to be screened during the event.
The main categories of the festival that will continue until 12 May are as follows:
Our Cinema, Each a Different Colour, Tribute, Cinema Despite Everything: Tahmineh Milani Collective Screening, A Country: Portugal / Fado, Fiesta, Football and Cinema Too, Who is this Sarah Watt? Shape of Water, Incident Scene: Family, Not if its Not Short, the Most Real, The Most Imaginative and an Exhibit by Muammer Yanmaz on "40 Actresses".
Our Cinema
Five films are to be shown in this category consisting of the work of directors, actresses and scenario writers who have received the Flying Broom Honorary Award and the Bilge Olgac Success Award.
Two of these films are the "Last Birds" and "Endless Road" films starred by Selma Guneri who will receive the Flying Broom Honorary Award on the opening night.
Three films whose scenarios have been written by this year's Bilge Olgac Success Award will also be screened under this section.
These films are "Don't Let Them Shoot the Kite" directed by Tunc Basaran, "Other Side of the Water" directed by Tomris Giritlioglu and Omer Kavur's "House of Angels".
Each a Different Colour
In this category where every year an official jury formed by the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) awards one film, are films produced by 15 directors from nine countries. Experienced directors will compete alongside young directors at this year's festival for the FIPRESCI prize.
Tributes
Deepa Mehta: Two films of Indian director Deepa Mehta's "Element Trilogy", Earth and Fire were shown at last year's festival. The last film in the trilogy is Water. Mehta's films that she insists on producing in India have caused resentment among some sections of the society. Some theatres where Fire has been shown have been set on fire while the film set of Earth was attacked.
Martha Meszoras: Martha Meszoras' "Unburied Man" is based on the life story of Imre Nagy who was the symbol of the 1956 rebellion in Hungaria.
Claire Denis: Claire Denis' film at the festival is a documentary on modern dance choreographer Mathilde Monnier. "Towards Mathilde " is a documentary where the interest of the director in the human body reaches its peak. Denis is also known by her films, " Trouble Everyday" and "Chocolate".
Margaretha von Trotta: One of the first female directors, Margaretha von Trotta is a master in her field with an ability to explain the periods she chooses for her films in a woman's perspective. The Other Woman is not only a gripping drama but also the story of intimate love, revenge and lies.
One Country: Portugal: Fado, Fiesta, Football and a Cinema too
Portuguese cinema is this year's subject of the One Country category which is a never changing part of the International Women's Film Festival of Flying Broom. The program contains films by Teresa Villavarde, one of Portugal's female directors.
The "One Country: Portugal" section consisting of 11 films is regarded as an important opportunity to be introduced to Portuguese cinema where women have made their presence known since the late 1980s.
Who is this Sarah Watt?
Sarah Watt who started her career in cinema with films chronicling lives worked in this field for many years and her films have a place in the cinema archives of many countries. Watt's "Look Both Ways" will be shown in this section. Watt's 4 short films are also to be screened during the festival.
Dialogue: "Incident Scene: Family"
Another section that contains documentaries is "Incident Scene: Family". This section includes four documentaries on inter family relations and the role of the woman in families.
Exhibit: "40 Actresses"
Photographer Muammer Yanmaz's last exhibit "40 Actresses" that comes after his acclaimed "Male Directors in the Turkish Cinema" and "Women Directors" can also be seen at this year's festival. This exhibit consisting of the portraits of 40 actresses was first displayed at the 25th International Istanbul Film Festival. (AD/TK/II/YE)
