Locarno Film Festival Selection Comes to Istanbul Modern
Ten films from the 79th Locarno edition screen in Istanbul from 26 November to 6 December.
Istanbul Modern Cinema will screen ten films from the 79th Locarno Film Festival between 26 November and 6 December. The program gives Istanbul audiences a chance to see titles from one of Switzerland’s best-known cinema events on the big screen.
Anadolu Agency reported the plan on 11 November, citing a statement from Istanbul Modern. The screenings take place at the museum’s own cinema in the city.
What the Locarno Film Festival selection includes
The ten films come from three parts of the festival: the main competition, Piazza Grande and Filmmakers of the Present. Piazza Grande is Locarno’s large open-air screening section. Filmmakers of the Present is a competition for emerging directors.
Istanbul Modern is organizing the program in cooperation with the Locarno Film Festival. The Consulate General of Switzerland in Istanbul is also contributing. The announcement available to us does not list the individual titles, so readers should check the museum’s cinema schedule for the full lineup and ticket details.
A guest of honor from Locarno
Giona A. Nazzaro, the director of the Locarno Film Festival, is the program’s guest of honor. At a special event at Istanbul Modern, he will talk about the festival’s cinematic vision and share behind-the-scenes insights. He will also discuss the films in the selection.
The source does not give a date or time for that event. Interested visitors should wait for Istanbul Modern’s own announcement.
Why the program matters for Turkish film culture
This is not the museum’s first Locarno selection. Its cinema page describes an earlier program built around the festival’s 78th edition. That lineup included films by directors such as Naomi Kawase, Sho Miyake and Alexandre Koberidze.
For readers who follow Turkish series, a program like this offers a different side of Istanbul’s screen culture. It shows where international arthouse cinema reaches local audiences outside the usual commercial release cycle. Festival selections like this also give Turkish viewers a wider frame of comparison for the country’s own film and television output.
The 26 November to 6 December run leaves about ten days for audiences to plan their visits.
Source: Anadolu Agency
Featured image: Tatiana Matlina / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
