International Antalya Film Festival kicks off

ANTALYA, Turkey

The 52nd edition of the International Antalya Film Festival kicked off Sunday in Antalya, in southern Turkey.

Turkish actors Tarik Unluoglu, Gulsen Tuncer, Ipek Karapinar, Begum Birgoren, British actor Jeremy Irons and American actress Kathleen Turner were among those who participated in the festival’s opening parade.

In the opening Gala of the festival, Turkish artists Aysen Gruda, Erden Kiral and Kayhan Yildizoglu were awarded Lifetime Honorary Awards.

Lifetime Achievement Awards were given to renowned international artists France's Catherine Deneuve, Britain's Jeremy Irons and the United States' Kathleen Turner.

A total of 88 films will be screened during the festival, from Sunday to Dec. 6. The festival organizers said “41 of 88 films have Turkey as their country of origin while 47 are international pictures.”

The festival’s website states that 10 international titles will compete for the Golden Orange Awards.

The t'tles of the competing movies are as follows:

BRIDGEND (Director: Jeppe Ronde / Denmark) –

ENCLAVE (Director: Goran Radovanovic / Serbia and Germany)

GIRLS LOST (Director: Alexandra-Therese Keining / Sweden)

COLD OF KALANDAR (Director: Mustafa Kara / Turkey and Hungary)

FLY AWAY SOLO (Director: Neeraj Ghaywan / India and France)

MEMORIES ON STONE (Director: Sevket Emin Korki / Germany and Iraq)

PIONEER HEROES (Director: Natalya Kudryashova / Russia)

MEMORIES OF THE WIND (Director: Ozcan Alper / Turkey, Germany and France)

SWORN VIRGIN (Director: Laura Bispuri / Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Albania, Kosovo and France)

THE IDOL (Director: Hani Ebu Essed / Palestine)

The festival will deliver a 50,000-euro ($53,000) cash prize and to the best film. Statuettes will be delivered also in the Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Music, Best Actress and Best Actor categories.

The International Antalya Film Festival is Turkey’s oldest and longest running film festival.