AFM International Independent Film Festival

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The article is about the newer independent festival, held in February. For the older festival, held in April, see Istanbul International Film Festival.

AFM International Independent Film Festival, more commonly known as !f Istanbul is an annual, international film festival dedicated to independent films from all around the world.^[1] The festival is held each year in mid-February at AFM Theaters, hence its name, in Istanbul, Turkey, with a partial showcase in Ankara.

It is the only film festival in Turkey with a GLBT section^[1].

[edit] Program

Each year, the films are presented in several thematic sections.

A competitive section called "Keş!f" in Turkish and "!f Inspired" in English is included for the first time in 2008. Ten international films will be competing in the section, and the international jury will be consisting of Reha Erdem, Christophe Leparc, John Cameron Mitchell, Wendy Mitchell, and Perry Ogden.

In 2008, around 70 films will be shown in the festival under following sections:

!f Inspired / Keş!f
Hit Films / Hit Filmler
Mexican Wave / Meksika Dalgası
Life in Sound / Sesli Yaflam
Fantastic Films / Fantastik Filmler
Rainbow Films / Gökkuşağı
The Planet, The People / Gezegen, İnsan
Warped Love / Başka Aşk
The Art of Living / Yaşama Sanatı
!f Junior / !f Çocuk
Insomnia / Nöbetçi Sinema
!f Shorts / !f Kısalar
Special Screening / Özel Gösterim

Several festival-related activities such as workshops, interviews, symposiums, exhibitions, etc. with directors, NGOs, and scholars are held during the festival.

!f Istanbul also organizes several parties during the festival including the opening and closing parties. In 2008, the opening party will feature Joy Division ex-bassist and co-founder Peter Hook, and the closing party will feature the Icelandic band múm.