Since 2001, the !f Istanbul International Independent Film Festival has provided Istanbul cinephiles with the opportunity to see independent films from all corners of the globe, by well-known and emerging directors alike. The !f Festival – which also occurs yearly in Ankara, and, starting this year, in İzmir as well – features recent films in a number of different categories; this year the categories are !f Inspired, Hit Films, !f Music, Fantastic Films, People Power, Rainbow Films, Home, Trip, e-xperiments, !f Cult, Insomnia, !f Special Screenings, ACID 20BDay, Spotlight on Sundance, and !f Shorts.

Highlights of the festival include UK filmmaker James Marsh’s 2011 documentary Project Nim, about the famous signing chimpanzee Nim Chimpsky; Tamer Ezzat, Ayten Amin, and Amr Salama’s Tahrir 2011: The Good, the Bad and the Politician, about last year’s political upheaval in Egypt; past films by award-winning directors like Thailand’s Apichatpong Weerasethakul; and many more.

In addition, there will be a series of special screenings, talks, panels, workshops, and concerts over the course of the festival, at various Istanbul clubs, restaurants, galleries, as well as at SALT Beyoğlu’s Açık Sinema (Walk-in Cinema). A full schedule of events is available on the !f Istanbul website, along with detailed descriptions of the films being screened.

When: February 16 - 26

Where: AFM Budak Caddebostan; AFM Fitaş; AFM İstinyePark, Cinebonus Maçka G-Mall

How much: From the venue and from www.mybilet.com:  16 TL (9:30/10:00 PM screenings); 14 TL (evening/weekend screenings); 11 TL (evening/weekend screenings, students); 7 TL (daytime weekday screenings); 7 TL (Turkish films); Free (Short films, Walk-in Cinema screenings)

Language: Various languages with ENG and TR subtitles