24/02/2006

Among the six new films opening today in the UK, Fatih Akin’s Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul [+see also:
trailer
film profile] is the only European title launched on six screens by Soda Pictures.

Shown out of competition at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, the Turkish/German documentary is a musical odyssey through Istanbul with an exuberant travel guide, Alexander Hacke, who takes a look at the vibrant musical scene, which includes traditional Turkish music along with rock and hip-hop. Soda Pictures, which released Akin’s Head-On [+see also:
trailer
film profile] exactly one year ago, is targeting the same audience that had enjoyed the director’s previous work. Kate Gerova, the company’s head of publicity, told Cineuropa: "We are targeting world music lovers, independent film lovers, Fatih Akin admirers (of which there are many) wanting to see the follow up to Head-On, and Turkish multi-generational communities in general".

Soda Pictures started marketing the film back in October 2005 during the London Film Festival, using the film’s iconic poster image, the LFF screenings and a Q&A with Fatih Akin. The publicity campaign included articles published in the monthly trendy magazine Dazed and Confused and in Songlines, the world music specialty magazine. A promotion was put together with Times Online offering a winning trip to the Istanbul Jazz Festival in the summer of 2006 and, in the week before the release, a press advertising campaign was coordinated in The Guardian and The Observer, weekly entertainment magazine Time Out, as well as in music magazines The World and Songlines and several regional publications.

The film was also promoted on radio programmes interested in world issues and world cultural events, such as Radio 2 and BBC4’s The World.

Soda Pictures has another arthouse film currently playing at the ICA (Institute of Contemporary Arts) in London: Song of Songs [+see also:
film review
interview: Gayle Griffiths
interview: Josh Appignanesi
film profile], the acclaimed debut feature film by UK filmmaker Josh Appignanesi, which has grossed £ 2,670 (€ 3,923) in two weeks.