Master director Wim Wenders is coming to Istanbul for the first time as the guest of honour of the festival in cooperation with MUBI. Three of Wenders' films will be screened at the festival: Anselm, the great master's most recent film, which premiered at Cannes and explores the life and artistic journey of German artist Anselm Kiefer; Alice in the Cities, which will be screened from the restored copy on its 50th anniversary; and Japan's Oscar nominee Perfect Days, starring Koji Yakusho in the lead role. Wenders will also meet with the audience at a festival talk.

On the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Turkey, Koji Yakusho will also be in Istanbul for the festival. Koji Yakusho is one of Japan's most recognised and respected male actors, easily shouldering the burden of every genre from yakuza films to romantic drama, action to comedy. Yakusho, who has received awards for almost every role he has taken on, is in the festival programme with four films that stand out in his filmography. 13 Assassins (Takashi Miike), Under the Open Sky (Miwa Nishikawa), Shall We Dance? (Masayuki Suô) and Perfect Days (Wim Wenders), for which Koji Yakusho won the Best Actor Award at Cannes.

Wim Wenders and Koji Yakusho will be presented with the festival's Cinema Honour Award before the screenings of their films.