Count Us In! December 17–30, 2020

Istanbul Modern Cinema’s program Count Us In!, sponsored by Türk Tuborg A.Ş., brings together the newest films from the cinema of Turkey and is celebrating its ninth anniversary. This year’s program, which will be presented online and free-of-charge, focuses on films that have aroused curiosity, won awards at festivals despite having spent little or no time at all in theaters. Count Us In! opens with Azra Deniz Okyay’s Ghosts (Hayaletler), which made its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, where it won the Critics’ Week prize. The film follows the intersecting story of four characters who pursue their troubles in a neighborhood that has become even more dystopic with the city-wide power outage in Istanbul. Ghosts won five awards, including the “Best Film” at this year’s Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, where Ferit Karol's Penny Bank (Kumbara) also received the “Behlül Dal Best Debut Film Award”. Penny Bank portrays the story of a middle-class man who acts as a guarantor for a friend and ends up struggling due to the friend’s debt. Among the films to be screened is The Antenna (Bina), a suspense-thriller film, which deals with the manipulation of perception of reality through a television antenna erected on the roof of an apartment building, and the lethal force this antenna emanates. A wide selection of this year’s Count Us In! program focuses on highly-acclaimed documentaries such as Phases of Matter (Maddenin Halleri), Mimaroglu: The Robinson of Manhattan Island (Mimaroğlu), Invisible to the Eye (Ah Gözel Istanbul), and The Pageant (Miss Holokost Survivor).

In addition to the screenings, there will be short panels featuring the film directors and cast members. The conversations will be held in Turkish on Istanbul Modern's YouTube channel.

Each film will be available for viewing between the dates and times indicated in the program. During that period you can register to view the film.