Turkey is seeing a wave of independent filmmaking despite tiny budgets and constraints on political speech, part of a booming industry producing hundreds of new films each year.
The main showcase for independent film is the !f Istanbul Independent Film Festival, which wrapped up its 17th edition on March 4 following additional screenings in Ankara and Izmir. It drew 80,000 viewers to 110 films, including 15,000 people who watched digital broadcasts in 33 cities across Turkey and the region.