The London Turkish Film Festival (LTFF) is excited to announce that it will award the most promising feature film in this year’s festival with a Digital Distribution Contract for a release in the UK and Ireland. The LTFF Jury will grant the contract to the most impressive new Turkish film that displays the qualities necessary to connect with audiences in the UK.


A selection of ten new Turkish feature films or Turkish co-productions will be in competition for the prize, which will be announced by the LTFF Jury at the Opening Gala, at BAFTA on November 5th.


The LTFF Jury will be made up of British and internationally acclaimed members of the film industry, including Jo Blair, Senior Programmer at City Screen, Empire Journalist David Parkinson, Director of Programming at Curzon Cinemas, Jason Wood and Turkish actress Hulya Kocyigit.


Vedide Kaymak, Festival Director of LTFF commented “Turkish films such as TIMES AND WINDS and THREE MONKEYS have proven to succeed both critically and commercially in the UK”. Vedide continued “the film festival provides a great platform to showcase the best of new Turkish cinema in London, and this Digital Distribution Contract represents a fantastic opportunity for us to support a film’s release in the UK, from theatrical through to all other platforms”.


In addition to the films in competition, the festival programme will include a further selection of Turkish features, documentaries and short films with over 8,000 admissions expected. The 15th London Turkish Film Festival will take place from the 5th – 19th November 2009.


The London Turkish Film Festival (LTFF) is firmly established as the longest running and only festival providing an exciting platform for daring, varied and avant garde Turkish films. During this time the festival has screened over 200 feature, and 300 short and documentary films across the capital’s most prestigious cinemas.


For further information on the London Turkish Film Festival, please visit www.ltff.org.uk
For press enquiries, please contact : Faith Taylor
E: press@sodapictures.com | T: 0207 3777 1407



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NOTES FOR EDITORS
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About the 15th London Turkish Film Festival
Now in its 15th year, the London Turkish Film Festival (LTFF) is firmly established as an exciting platform for daring, varied and avant garde cinema. Since its inception, the festival has screened over 200 feature, and 300 short and documentary films across the capital’s most prestigious cinemas. Its formula of mixing new Turkish talent alongside highly acclaimed directors such as Cannes winner Nuri Bilge Ceylan has helped bring what the Barbican describes as “New Turkish Cinema” to the public.

Between 5-19 November this year, over 8,000 people are expected to attend sixty screenings of up to 20 different feature films, 25 shorts and 10 documentaries. During these two weeks, the LTFF will be hosted by three London venues:

- BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) (Piccadilly Circus) for Opening Gala and Awards Ceremony

- Apollo Cinema (Piccadilly Circus)

- Rio Cinema (independent cinema in Dalston)


About London Turkish Film Festival
The London Turkish Film Festival (LTFF) was inaugurated by Vedide Kaymak in 1993, and since then it has been a vital event in the London cultural scene. Vedide has been involved in a variety of arts and cultural activities in London - promoting Turkish culture, programming for MTV’s Turkish channel, and co-producing short film productions. Her project has been facilitated by the energetic support of the Rio Cinema in Dalston and by the encouragement of its general manager, Charles Rubinstein. As with previous years the Festival is supported by the National Lottery through the UK Film Council and Film London Regional Investment Fund for England. This support has been crucial to the Festival’s development: now in its 15th year, the festival has grown from a small three-day event to a full-scale film festival over two weeks.

The festival has always had an inclusive approach towards programming. Thus, it has provided a platform in the UK for a new generation of film-makers of Turkish origin who live and work in Western Europe. Indeed, as it has developed, the LTFF has sought to foreground the new kind of transnational cinema that has been proliferating across – and beyond – Europe. The festival has also featured a programme of short films, giving an opportunity to young feature and documentary film-makers.

Over its lifespan, the LTFF has screened nearly 200 feature, and 300 short and documentary films. The festival has also invited nearly 100 guests, including directors, producers, actors, and short film-makers. Panels and discussions have also featured as another key activity of the festival, and have involved a wide range of participants from the international film industry.

The festival continues to receive financial support from the Turkish Ministry Of Culture And Tourism.

Over the last decade, young Turkish film-makers, not only in Turkey, but also those living in Western Europe, have found new creative
directions, making critically acclaimed films, and winning awards all over the world.

The 15th London Turkish Film Festival is supported by the following partners and funders: