The 18th İzmir Short Film Festival started yesterday and is scheduled to run until Nov. 12. The festival is showing 400 films from 42 different countries, free of charge. In addition to the special film selections, the festival is also hosting exciting workshops, exhibitions and events.

The films will be shown free of charge at the Institut Français, the İzmir Art in Culture Park, the Buca Municipality Tarık Akan Youth Center and at participating universities' halls.

The festival will host a special screening of Luis Gonzalez's feature film "The Turkish Way" at the French Cultural Center. The documentary tells the story of three chiefs of the El Celler de Can Roca, which was chosen as the best restaurant in the world in 2015. They begin a gastronomic journey from Argentina to Turkey.

The "Portraits from Turkish Cinema" photography exhibition by Mehmet Koştumoğlu can be visited at the Buca Municipality Culture Center during the festival. Koştumoğlu's 24-year work comprises of 200 portraits of the greatest names of Turkish Cinema such as actors Münir Özkul, Tuncel Kurtiz, Ediz Hun, Şener Şen, actress Müjde Ar and director Ömer Lütfi Akad.

11 Awards

Short films from all over the globe will be competing for the Golden Cat Awards. The best fiction film and the runner-ups in the international and national competitions will be awarded. In the national category, the best documentary, best experimental, best animation, best newcomer and best cinematographer awards will be presented.

Students from Ege University, Yaşar University, İzmir Economy University and İzmir Institute of Technology will be voting for the best film category to receive a youth award.

The festival is kindly supported by the Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, the İzmir General Directorate of Cinema, the Buca, Konak, Bornova and Karşıyaka Municipalities and the French Cultural Center.