The 12th edition of the !f Istanbul International Independent Film Festival 2013 will starts in Istanbul on February 14.

Over the past 12 years, !f Istanbul has become synonymous with cutting-edge contemporary cinema and a thriving alternative entertainment culture boosted by its much-talked about !f parties and events.

The parties have become so popular that they have spawned a mini-festival called !f Music, which will feature parties hosted by Pat Mahoney and Nancy Whang, members of the legendary LCD Soundsystem, on Feb. 9. Hercules and Love Affair will also play subsequent dates.

The opening film of !f Istanbul will be Leos Carax’s much-anticipated film “Holy Motors.” Carax, the famed director of “The Lovers On The Bridge” and “Bad Blood,” will present “Holy Motors,” filmed after a 13-year hiatus. Starring Denis Lavant, Kylie Minogue and Eva Mendes, “Holy Motors” is a roller-coaster ride that has bewitched viewers and named one of the year’s best films by numerous critics.

In addition to Carax, !f Istanbul will also host important contemporary filmmakers such as Berlinale Alfred Bauer Award winner “Tabu” director Miguel Gomes and Jose Rivera, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter of “Motorcycle Diaries,” “Letters to Juliet” and “On The Road,” a 2013 festival title that was adapted from the cult novel of the same name.

In addition to these titles, many of the year’s most eagerly anticipated titles will make their Turkey premieres under !f Istanbul’s Galas section.

Among the films are Xavier Dolan’s “Laurence Anyways;” Ben Lewin’s “The Sessions;” “All The Light In The Sky;” Richard Linklater’s “Bernie;” Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg’s “Celeste & Jess Forever;” Hong Sang-soo’s “In Another Country;” Michael Winterbottom’s “Everyday;” Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach’s “Frances Ha;” Lee Daniel’s “The Paperboy;” “Love Marilyn by Liz Garbus;” David Chase’s “Not Fade Away;” Sion Sono’s “The Land Of Hope;” Kenneth Lonergan’s “Margaret;” Martin McDonaugh’s “Seven Psychopaths;” Denis Côté’s “Vic+Flo Saw a Bear;” Harmony Korine’s “Spring Breakers;” Matteo Garone’s “Reality;” Robert B. Weide’s “Woody Allen, A Documentary;” and Reha Erdem’s “And from Turkey.”

!f Istanbul’s “Play” section, meanwhile, will bring together films that aim to open new ground and suspend exterior time. Deeply personal documentaries such as Sarah Polley’s acclaimed “Stories We Tell,” new cult classics such as Peter Strickland’s “Berberian Sound Studio,” the latest animation hits such as Mamoru Hosada’s anime “Wolf Children,” and mindful explorations of the world we live in such as “Museum Hours,” are some of the many films on offer.

The “Love & Change” section will offer extraordinary films that ask viewers to take a different look at the world. The section also looks at recent events that have gripped the world’s imagination.

By now a festival staple, !f Istanbul’s “Rainbow” section this year includes “Bye Bye Blondie,” “Call Me Kuchu,” “Joshua Tree, 1951: A Portrait of James Dean,” “Yossi” and the surprise Serbian box-office hit “Parade.”

“Dark & Edgy” is another new theme and includes fantastic films and thrillers that will likely be labeled cults in the future:

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