'!f Istanbul unites!' in Turkey and abroad

The !f Istanbul Independent Film Festival celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. The festival launches today and will come to Ankara and ?zmir on March 3 and 6 The !f Istanbul Independent Film Festival will take place from Feb. 18-28 in Istanbul, and on March 3 and 6 in Ankara and ?zmir. Launching this year with the slogan, "!f Istanbul unites!" the festival will treat audiences to the year's best independent cinema with the most talked about and award-winning films, provide a fresh alternative to Istanbul's entertainment and nightlife with !f Music Parties, and take film screenings to 50 different locations in 33 cities through its digital broadcast network, !f².

The Galas section hosts films celebrated at the world's major festivals from Toronto to Venice, Cannes and Sundance. This year's selection includes films by Gaspar Noé, Hou Hsiao-Hsien, Jean-Marc Vallée, Davis Guggenheim, and Maïwenn, among others.

Known for legendary videos he shot for Radiohead and Muse, as well as his acclaimed documentaries "Joy Division" and "Patience (After Sebald)," Grant Gee will screen his newest film, "Innocence of Memories," inspired by Turkey's Nobel Laureate novelist Orhan Pamuk's "Museum of Innocence," after its world premiere in Venice.

Nine films will compete in the festival's international competition section !nspired,  open to directors who have directed their first or second film, after which the jury will select 2016's most inspired director.

The jury responsible for selecting the recipient of the $10,000 prize is comprised of prominent members of international and Turkish film communities, including director, screenwriter, and actress Desiree Akhavan, MoMA film curator Joshua Siegel, actress and film editor Dounia Sichov,...