“Three Goodbyes”, a drama set in Rome directed by Isabelle Coixet and starring Italian stars Alba Rohrwacher and Elio Germano, will open the 45th Istanbul Film Festival from April 9th to 19th.
Aiming to be more international, the revamped festival has announced this year’s guests, including “The Baddest Man in the World” actor Anders Danielsen Lee, British director Mike Figgis, Oscar-winning composer Daniel Blumberg and renowned Senegalese dancer and choreographer Germaine Acogny.
The Italian-language version of “Three Goodbyes,” which premiered in Toronto last year, is based on the best-selling book of the same name by the late Italian author Michela Murgia, who was diagnosed with kidney cancer.
The drama, produced by Italy’s ITV subsidiary Cattleya, will be screened in Istanbul at a gala event.
Other highlights of the festival’s gala section include Olivier Assayas’s The Kremlin, starring Paul Dano and Jude Law; “Silent Friend” by Ildiko Enyedi featuring Tony Leung and Léa Seydoux. “Mother Mary” directed by David Lowery and starring Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel.
Festival organizers have not announced whether any talent will participate in the category’s films, but Italian director Gianfranco Rosi is expected to be in Istanbul to receive the career award. Rosi will also screen Pompeii: Beneath the Clouds, a passionate exploration of the Bay of Naples. The film is being screened as a gala after opening in Venice last year and playing prominently on the festival circuit. Ponpei: Below the Clouds is currently in theaters in the US through Mubi
Also to be honored at the upcoming Istanbul Festival is Nilüfer Adan, a veteran star of Turkish film and television. His long list of credits includes the classic drama “The Golden Cage” directed by Ahmet Hakan, “Stranger in the City” directed by Harit Refi, and “Color & Turkey” directed by Ahmet Čağılçı.
The Golden Tulip Contest will consist of 15 titles from around the world, with strong representation from Türkiye as well. Among them is Chinese author Bi Gan’s masterpiece “Resurrection,” which won the 2025 Cannes Special Jury Prize. Zurich-born Kenyan filmmaker Damien Hauser’s Memories of Princess Mumbi is a dystopian fable set in a fictional Africa in 2093. “Only Rebels Win” directed by Lebanese Daniel Arbid, starring Hiam Abbas. He also co-starred with Sandra Hüller in Austrian writer Markus Schleinzer’s “Rose.”
Scottish director David McKenzie (The Fuse) will preside over the competition jury, which will also include Berlinale EFM director Tanya Meissner, Turkish actor Ekin Koç (The Thing You Kill), Turkish academic Asur Tunci and Portuguese producer Rodrigo Areias (The Baddest Man in London).
“Meeting on the Bridge”, Istanbul Fest’s collaborative production platform that brings together international film industry experts, will be held from April 14th to 16th. This year, a total of 23 projects were featured on the platform’s selection.
