1. What is Filmekimi and when is it on?
Filmekimi is an annual film programme organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV). Its 2026 Istanbul screenings run from Friday 9 October to Sunday 18 October, bringing films that have recently attracted attention at festivals such as Cannes, Venice and Toronto to ordinary city cinemas. The organiser’s 25 September announcement lists 43 films in the Istanbul line-up. Not every title plays in every cinema or every day, so a visit starts with the individual screening schedule, not just the festival dates.
The line-up includes new work from filmmakers such as Pedro Almodóvar, Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, Hirokazu Kore-eda, James Gray, Asghar Farhadi, Werner Herzog and Taika Waititi. That breadth is the appeal: you can choose a single international film for an evening out, or plan several screenings around an existing Istanbul itinerary. Do not confuse Filmekimi with the larger Istanbul Film Festival, whose 2026 edition took place in April.
The wider 2026 Filmekimi programme also visits Ankara on 15–18 October, then İzmir and Mersin on 22–25 October. Those regional dates are not extra Istanbul screening dates. One exception already announced in the organiser’s change notice is a specific rescheduled screening on 19 October in Kadıköy. Always follow the actual film ticket and current festival notice rather than assuming every show ends precisely on 18 October.
2. Four cinemas: choose the right side of the city
The four Istanbul venues are Atlas 1948 Cinema, City’s CineWAM Nişantaşı, Kadıköy Cinema and Paribu Art. They are separate venues rather than screens inside one central festival complex. Atlas 1948 is in the Beyoğlu/İstiklal Avenue area; City’s CineWAM serves Nişantaşı; Kadıköy Cinema is on the Asian side; and Paribu Art is a distinct event space. Confirm the street address shown on your booking before ordering a taxi or choosing a ferry.
For visitors staying around Taksim, Beyoğlu or Galata, Atlas 1948 may be an easier choice to pair with restaurants and an evening walk. A Nişantaşı screening may fit better with a Şişli-based day. Kadıköy is a rewarding neighbourhood for food and street life but requires a cross-city journey if you are staying on the European side. A ferry can be a pleasant option when times and pier routes work, but your final walk and the last return service still need checking.
Avoid building a tight two-screen itinerary at different cinemas: Istanbul traffic, station exits and ferry frequencies can all make apparently short map distances misleading. If you want more than one film, prioritise consecutive screenings in the same cinema, or leave a substantial gap for food and travel. Use the address and start time on the official ticket as the final authority.
3. Tickets, prices and where to book
İKSV’s published regular Istanbul ticket prices are ₺350 for weekday daytime screenings at 13:00 or 16:00 and ₺450 for weekday evening screenings at 19:00 or 21:30 and all Saturday and Sunday sessions. A limited allocation of ₺50 Eczacıbaşı Young Tickets is advertised for eligible shows other than the 21:30 screenings. These are the organiser’s published categories, not a promise that the lower-price or youth allocation is available for your particular film.
The organiser warns that ticket prices may increase by 15% during the Filmekimi period from 9 October. That means a screenshot or earlier promotional price may no longer be the amount charged at checkout. Check the live ticket page for the selected screening, and budget using the final displayed total rather than an old guide. The festival began public sales on 2 October after Tulip Card member presales.
Use the organiser’s official programme and the Passo purchase path it links to. Pay attention to the venue, local screening time, the film’s exact title and any special seating information. The ordinary terms say booked tickets cannot simply be exchanged or refunded unless the screening is cancelled or the date changes, so choose carefully before completing payment.
4. Subtitles, age restrictions and late arrival
A film’s country of origin does not tell you what language or subtitles your session will use. Read each film and screening entry for its original language and stated Turkish or English subtitles before buying. International travellers should not assume every Filmekimi title has English subtitles: the subtitle configuration may differ from film to film, and some screenings may be unsuitable without Turkish comprehension.
The festival’s rules say screenings are generally restricted to people aged 18 and over unless otherwise stated, under the applicable local regulations. Staff may ask to see identification. This is a genuine planning issue for families: Filmekimi is not a general children’s programme, even when a particular film’s subject appears family-friendly. Check the individual entry rather than guessing the age eligibility.
İKSV asks guests to be at the cinema at least 20 minutes before the scheduled start. Late arrivals are not admitted and do not get a refund under the published policy. Only water may be taken into the auditorium; large bags and suitcases are not accepted, and there is no cloakroom. If you are arriving after a flight, ferry trip or all-day sightseeing route, allow enough time to leave bulky luggage at your accommodation first.
5. Plan an Istanbul evening that works
Think of Filmekimi as an anchor for one evening rather than a reason to cross Istanbul several times in one afternoon. Choose your film, confirm the venue, then build dinner or an early neighbourhood walk nearby. Beyoğlu works naturally with cafés and the cultural corridor around İstiklal Avenue; Kadıköy has a different food and nightlife atmosphere on the Asian side; Nişantaşı lends itself to a leisurely afternoon before a screening.
If travelling between continents, allow for the actual ferry or rail interchange and the local connection at either end. Istanbul’s rail and ferry systems are useful but stations, piers and cinemas are not interchangeable dots on a map. Check the latest journey planner and pay attention to the finishing time of a late 21:30 session; a long film can push your return journey later than expected.
Wear comfortable shoes, keep the electronic ticket available offline or in an accessible app, and leave buffer time for queueing. A film festival is at its best when you can enjoy the discussion afterwards instead of sprinting to the next timed commitment. Live seat inventory and last-minute schedule changes are outside this article’s scope: check the organiser again on the day you travel.
6. Changes, added sessions and the official checks
Filmekimi has already announced extra sessions and at least one date-and-venue change. Its 2 October notice moved the scheduled Ideal Husband screening formerly set for 7 October at Paribu Art, assigning affected ticket-holders to 19 October sessions at Kadıköy Cinema. That special rearrangement should not be generalised into a promise that other sessions or venues can be exchanged freely.
Before you travel, check four things: the film’s current date and start time; the venue printed on your latest ticket; its subtitle and age details; and the actual amount due in the official ticketing system. If you hold a ticket affected by a formal change, follow the organiser’s notice and the instructions in your Passo account rather than relying on a social-media screenshot.
For the full list of 43 films and any additions or corrections, use the Filmekimi programme, its official ticket-information page and the special guidance for audiences. Those first-party sources are linked below. The practical point for travellers is simple: Filmekimi offers a distinctive autumn cinema experience across both sides of Istanbul, but it rewards choosing one confirmed session carefully rather than improvising on the night.
Official sources and booking checks
- İKSV programme, 25 September 2026
- Official ticket information
- Official audience and venue rules
- Additional-session notice, 2 October 2026
- Official Filmekimi programme
Published 9 October 2026. Schedules, ticket prices, seating availability and subtitle details can change; check the organiser’s live information.
