Stephen Frears’ Oscar-nominated feature to open this year’s Istanbul Film Festival.

Philomena, starring Judi Dench and Steve Coogan, is to open the 33rd Istanbul Film Festival (April 5-20).

Directed by Stephen Frears and based on a true story the film centres on an elderly woman’s search for her son, with the help of a journalist, who was taken away from her decades ago after she became pregnant and was forced to live in a convent.

The Turkish festival will feature more than 200 titles and three competitions in its programme. The full line-up will be announced in the first week of March. The festival also features industry section Meetings on the Bridge.

Titles already announced include Pawel Pawlikowski’s multi-award winner Ida; Alain Guiraudie’s Cannes winning murder mystery Stranger by the Lake; Talal Derki’s IDFA opening film Return To Homs, recent winner of the Sundance world cinema documentary grand jury prize; Indian actress Geetu Mohandas’ debut feature Liar’s Dice; and Noaz Deshe’s African drama White Shadow.

The festival has also teased out news that BAFTA-nominated documentaries Blackfish and The Armstrong Lie will be screened.

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