Finalists Announced for the 26th Izmir International Short Film Festival

Izmir International Short Film Festival

The Izmir International Short Film Festival, which has been realized in previous years with the contributions of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, the General Directorate of Cinema, Karşıyaka Municipality, Konak Municipality, İZQ, Migros, the Goethe-Institut (German Cultural Center), and the Institut Français (French Cultural Center), will once again offer over 200 films to the public free of charge.

As an Academy Award® Qualifying Festival, Izmir remains among a select group of only 120 festivals worldwide with this prestigious status. This year, two films from the festival’s selection will earn the chance to apply for the Academy Awards®.

Exceptional International Interest

The festival received an extraordinary level of interest this year, with 4,000 films from 120 countries submitting for the Golden Cat Awards across national and international categories, including Animation, Documentary, Experimental, and Fiction. Each film was meticulously evaluated by the festival committee. Following an extensive review process, the official screening program has been finalized.

Festival Venues and Atmosphere

The festival will spread across the entire city, with screenings at the Institut Français, Karşıyaka Municipality Çatı Bostanlı, Karaca Cinema, and various university campuses for youth-oriented screenings.

Due to a limited number of entries in the experimental category this year, a competitive section for that genre will not be opened. However, a total of 32 films have been selected as finalists in the Fiction, Animation, and Documentary categories. The full festival program and jury members will be announced in the coming days.

OFFICIAL SELECTION: FINALIST FILMS

International Finalists

• Our Pantheons – Dir: Rosalie Charrier

• Coyotes – Dir: Said Zagha

• The Spectacle – Dir: Bálint Kenyeres

• What If They Bomb Here Tonight? – Dir: Samir Syriani

• No Skate! – Dir: Guil Sela

• The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent – Dir: Nebojša Slijepčević

• The Man of Shit – Dir: Sorel França

• Night of Passage – Dir: Reza Rasouli

• 400 Cassettes – Dir: Thelyia Petraki

• On The Way – Dir: Samir Karahoda

National Fiction Finalists

• Alis – Dir: Beril Tan

• The Procedure (Prosedür) – Dir: Rabia Özmen

• Ankara 1979 – Dir: Can Karayalçın

• Adako – Dir: Alina Evirgen

• Bimba – Dir: Sandra Peso

• Defne – Dir: Hamdi Furkan Yıldırım

• Eudaimonia – Dir: Gizem İbak

• Tezene of the Galaxy (Galaksinin Tezenesi) – Dir: Semih Ellialtı

• Heavenless (Cennetsiz) – Dir: Merve Bozcu

• Until Death Do Us Part (Ölüm Bizi Ayırana Dek) – Dir: Deniz Koloş

• Actually Everyone (Aslında Herkes) – Dir: Emre CEF Kamhi

• Everything That Is Ours (Bizim Olan Herşey) – Dir: Deniz Kezik

National Animation Finalists

• The Eyelash (Kirpik) – Dir: Doğa Kılcoğlu Esen

• Whisper of the Well (Kuyunun Fısıltısı) – Dir: Elif Dokur

• Second Act (İkinci Perde) – Dir: M. Çağrı Tüzün

• Budu – Dir: Burcu Ejderoğlu

• Exiles – Dir: Selçuk Ören

National Documentary Finalists

• Blue, Revolution, and VHS Tapes (Mavi, Devrim ve VHS Kasetler) – Dir: Serdar Kökçeoğlu

• Wedding of the Pirs (Pirlerin Düğünü) – Dir: Yalçın Çiftçi

• Salman Wants to Go (Salman Gitmek İstiyor) – Dir: Ozan Tatış

• Happiness (Mutluluk) – Dir: Fırat Yücel

• Will I Pass Through This Street? (Bu Sokaktan Geçer Miyim?) – Dir: Ebru Aksoy