Inarritu's 'Birdman' To Get Turkish Premiere At 14Th !F İstanbul

Mexican director Alejandro González Inarritu's black comedy “Birdman” will get its Turkish premiere as part of the upcoming !f İstanbul International Independent Film Festival, according to a press release from the event's publicist.

“Birdman,” which recounts the story of a desperate actor who needs to overcome his ego as he tries to get a role in a Broadway play, will be shown at !f İstanbul, which will be marking its 14th edition in 2015.

The film is billed as the “first surprise of !f İstanbul,” in the press release. The cast of “Birdman” includes Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton and Naomi Watts.

The film got its world premiere at this year's Venice Film Festival, where it was shown as the opener for the annual event and competed for the Golden Lion. “Birdman” hit American movie theaters on Oct. 17 and will begin its run in Turkish theaters from Jan. 16.

“Birdman” is the first feature length film Inarritu has directed in four years and is anticipated to be a strong contender for the Academy Awards.

!f İstanbul's İstanbul program will kick off on Feb. 12 and continue until Feb. 22. After completing its screenings in İstanbul, the festival will first travel Ankara and İzmir, where it will feature films from Feb. 26 to March 1.

(Cihan/Today's Zaman)