Women's film festival set to kick off in Ankara

The Flying Broom Women's Film Festival will be held in the Turkish capital city of Ankara for the 19th time between May 5 and May 12.

The festival opens on May 5 with three screenings at the K?z?l?rmak Movie Theater, while the official opening ceremony will be held on May 6.

The only international women's films festival to which the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) sends a jury, the Flying Broom will feature more than 100 films this year, 12 of which will compete for the FIPRESCI Award.

Veteran Turkish actress Selda Alkor will receive the Honorary Award, while the Bilge Olgaç Success Awards will be presented to director Bingöl Elmas, cinematographer Meryem Yavuz and voice actress Tülay Bursa.

The festival's films will be screened at the K?z?l?rmak, the Contemporary Arts Center and the German Cultural Center. While the screenings at the latter two will be free of charge, the tickets for K?z?l?rmak will be available for 5 Turkish Liras.

The films which will compete for the FIPRESCI Award include:

"As I Open My Eyes," Leyla Bouzid: Set on the eve of Tunisia's Jasmine Revolution, the first feature from director Bouzid follows an up-and-coming underground band as they are pulled in all directions by creative energy, authoritarian oppression and rebellion.

"Mountain," Yaelle Kayam:  A devout woman is living with her family in the Jewish cemetery on Jerusalem's Mount of Olives. During the day, while her husband and children are at school, she is left alone on the mountain. She goes for walks in the cemetery, trying to escape the endless house work.

"Pioneer Heroes," Natalya Kudryashova: Olga, Katya and Andrey are three friends who had very different dreams as children. In search of...