The festival invites its audience to an unforgettable journey with the Kaleidoscope selection. The selection, which focuses on human stories from different cultures and geographies, includes films that have won awards from many festivals.
Monster:
Japanese director Kore-eda Hirokazu's Monster, which won the Queer Palm and Best Screenplay awards at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, is included in the Kaleidoscope selection this year. The film begins with Minato's mother noticing strange behaviours in her son and suspecting that the reason for this change is his teacher, and as the story progresses, the truths of the mother, teacher and child are gradually revealed.
Let the River Flow:
Another film in the selection, Norwegian director Ole Giæver's Let the River Flow, an award-winning film from many international festivals, is about a young teacher who wants to hide her cultural identity to avoid racism, and her struggle to protect a river in a region mostly inhabited by Samis, and the inner conflicts she experiences.
The film won the Best Film Audience Award, Best Film FIPRESCI Award at the 2023 Gothenburg Film Festival, Best Film, Best Direction, Best Supporting Actor awards at the 2023 Amanda Awards, and The Tromsø Audience Award at the 2023 Tromsø International Film Festival.
Goodbye Stranger:
Dutch director Aaron Rookus's Goodbye Stranger is another film in the selection. The film starts with Paul, who is used to having everything he wants in life, and his world is shocked when he loses an offer from abroad. The film is about his search for his soul on the streets of Amsterdam in a summer season drenched in music.
In The Blind Spot:
Another film in the Kaleidoscope selection is the award-winning film In The Blind Spot by Kurdish-origin German director Ayşe Polat. The film tells the story of a German film crew who set out to make a documentary in northeastern Türkiye and the shadowy organisations and mysterious forces they encounter.
The film won the Golden Tulip Best Film in the National Competition, FIPRESCI Award in the National Competition, Best Screenplay and Best Editing awards at the 2023 Istanbul Film Festival.