TURKEY PREMIERES OF MORE THAN 60 INTERNATIONAL TITLES AT THE 4th INTERNATIONAL EURASIA FILM FESTIVAL
Excitement looms on the horizon as the International Eurasia Film Festival is about to reveal the complete line-up for its 4th edition. For another nine days enveloped in exuberance, the festival that brings the continents together will be launching the Turkey premieres of more than 60 titles from around the world.
The 4th International Eurasia Film Festival will raise its curtains with one of the most awaited films of 2008. Italy resident Turkish filmmaker Ferzan Özpetek's well-received UN GIORNO PERFETTO, which has premiered at the 65th Venice Film Festival will be the first breathe of magic to flash on the silver screen at the 4th edition of the festival. Adapted from Melania Gaia Mazzucco's novel, UN GIORNO PERFETTO casts Isabella Ferrari and Valerio Mastandrea. Director Ferzan Özpetek, the cast of the film and producer Domenico Procacci will be the guests of the 4th International Eurasia Film Festival.
The Grand Jury of the 4th International Eurasia Film Festival, who will vote for the Best Film and the Best Director of the main competition, is once again a congregation of celebrated maestros, stars, innovators and industry personages.
To be presided by virtuoso filmmaker PAUL VERHOEVEN; other names of the Grand Jury revealed so far includes celebrated actress JOAN CHEN (also starring in Zhang-Ke's participating film 24 CITY); Toronto International Film Festival's co-director and programmer CAMERON BAILEY; Oscar nominated Iranian director MAJID MAJIDI and Turkish director BERKUN OYA.
The competition titles of the 4th International Eurasia Film Festival are Ronit and Shlomi Elkabetz's impressive family drama SHIVA (Seven Days); Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-edda's thought-provoking STILL WALKING; Christian Petzold's JERICHOW; Bohdan Slama's THE COUNTRY TEACHER; Rashid Masharawi's LAILA'S BIRTHDAY; Karim Dridi's KHAMSA, Rustam Abrashev's THE GIFT TO STALIN, Baltasar Kormakur's WHITE NIGHT WEDDING, Claire Denis' 35 RHUMS and Uberto Pasolini's MACHAN.
The 61st Cannes Film Festival's "Best Film" Golden Palm winner Laurent Cantet's "The Class"; Woody Allen's much awaited eruption of genius "Vicky Cristina Barcelona", Charlie Kaufman's "Synecdoche, New York" and Guy Ritchie's Rock'nRolla will evoke surges of excitement among Turkish cinema fans in the Gala Screenings section venues.
In its 4th edition, the festival dedicates a special screening to the lovely memory of director Youssef Chahine who passed away July 27 2008. "DESTINY", one of the most celebrated films of the auteur's extensive oeuvre will greet the audience.
Wim Wenders' much awaited PALERMO SHOOTING casting Campino, Dennis Hopper and Giovanna Mezzogiorno will be a part of the star-spangled "Visions of Europe" section. A year after the Turkey premiere of A Mighty Heart, Michael Winterbottom's latest GENOVA will make its Turkey premire at the Festival.
WHEN A MAN COMES HOME, by Thomas Vinterberg; Mike Figgis' LOVE LIVE LONG written and shot in 7 days during Figgis' visit to Istanbul for the Gumball Rally 3000 in 2007 and Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne Brothers' poignant LORNA'S SILENCE are other titles waiting to meet the audience.
The gems in the Festival's overseas selection include Jennifer Lynch's latest SURVEILLANCE, Alan Ball's TOWELHEAD and Stanley Tucci's Theo Van Gogh remake BLIND DATE.
Matteo Garrone's caustic portrait of criminal lives GOMORRAH will storm the "Mediterranean Waves" as Erez Tadmor and Guy Nattiv's inspirational take on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, STRANGERS will inspire hopes for peace in the troubled lands.
The honor award recipient of the 42nd Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival and a "regular" of the festival with new films each year, Korean Maestro Kim ki Duk's DREAM will be screened as a part of the Festival's "Journey to Asia" selection.
The festival in its 4th year will lend highlight to the feature animation genre which has been pushing the boundaries in the silver screen and occupying larger lots in world festivals. Japanese master Hayao Miyazaki's latest feature PONYO ON A CLIFF BY THE SEA is another film to be shown as a part of the "Journey to Asia" section. Among the Asian titles of the 4th International Eurasia Film Festival is the definitive REDUX version of Wong Kar Wai's 1994 masterpiece ASHES OF TIME.
Barbet Schröeder's oneiric thriller INJU and Fernando Meirelles' much celebrated José Saramago adaptation, 2008 Cannes Film Festival opener BLINDNESS casting Mark Ruffalo and Julianne Moore and Zhang-Ke's much acclaimed, 'epic' blend of fiction and documentary, 24 CITY are other highlights of the festival.
The Festival in its 4th edition will also include a selection of films of historical importance restored by the World Cinema Foundation presided by famous filmmaker Martin Scorsese, championing the cause of preserving the cinema heritage of developing countries and rejuvenating films of historical prominence left to the mercy of time.
Alongside Ahmed El Mannouni's TRANSES and Djibril Diop Mambety's TOUKI BOUKI, one of the most prominent classics of the Turkish cinema, Metin Erksan's phenomenal creation DRY SUMMER will greet the audience with its new, restored version which was first screened at 2008 Cannes Film Festival.
Brought back from the shelves of history with the offer of celebrated helmer Fatih Akın, DRY SUMMER is the film that brought the Turkish cinema its first ever international triumph, winning the Best Film Golden Bear in 1964 Berlin Film Festival.
The festival's section devoted to documentary films will feature a selection of 2008's sensational titles. Conceptualized and written by Madonna and directed by Nathan Rissman, I AM BECAUSE WE ARE will launch its Turkey premiere as a part of Documentaries section along with Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige's I WANT TO SEE displaying Catherine Deneuve and Lebanese actor Rabih Mroué's journeying to Lebanon's war-infected zones in 2006 and the sensational CHEVOLUTION tracking the story of Che Guevara's famous portrait becoming a worldwide symbol for protest and hope.
