Edge of Night | Gecenin Kiyisi by Türker Süer (2024)

Edge of Night | Gecenin Kiyisi by Türker Süer (2024)

Production Country: Germany, Türkiye

Duration:85'

Directed by: Türker Süer[1]

Script: Türker Süer

Cinematography: Matteo Cocco

Editing: Rainer Nigrelli

Sound: Hasan Can Kaya

Music: Ozan Tekin

Actors: Ahmet Rıfat Şungar, Berk Hakman

Production:MFP GmbH, Liman Film

Producers: Viola Fügen, Michael Weber, Nadir Öperli

Co-production:WDR, ARTE

Production Design: Meral Efe Yurtseven, Yunus Emre Yurtseven

Format: DCP

Color: Color

Production companies: MFP, Liman Film

International sales: The Match Factory, info@matchfactory.de

Edge of Night - The Match Factory

Sinan, a lieutenant in the Turkish army, is tasked with escorting his brother, who is also an officer, to face military court. This mission feels like the ultimate test of obedience for Sinan, especially since the disgraceful discharge and tragic end of their father still cast a shadow over his otherwise spotless career prospects. However, things take a dangerous turn when, during the transfer, Turkey plunges into a night of deep political unrest and turmoil. With the failed coup attempt of July 15, 2016, as its backdrop, debut director Türker Süer crafts a mature thriller that draws comparisons to Michael Mann’s cinema. In the world of Edge of Night, even the bright daylight can’t dispel the darkness of uncertainty, where every decision could turn into a catastrophic mistake. A film deeply rooted in the 1980s aesthetics, complete with an evocative and haunting soundtrack.

[1] Türker Süer studied directing and screenwriting at the Academy of Media Arts in Cologne, Germany. During this time, he directed several short films, which were shown at international and national festivals. His graduation short, Brüder (Brothers), was nominated for the First Steps Award and the Max Ophüls Prize, among other awards, and received praise from the German Board of Film Recommendation (FBW) as “highly recommended.” He participated in the Berlinale Talent Campus and received a six-month scholarship at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris. His feature film debut,

Edge of Night, starring Ahmet Rıfat Şungar and Berk Hakman, was selected at Venice IFF Orizzonti for the world premiere, and at the Toronto International Film Festival for its North American premiere.

Filmography

2006 Shaving Hacke (short doc, co-direction)

2010 The Best Father Ever (short)

2012 Brothers (short)

2024 Edge of Night

REVIEW

‘Edge Of Night’: Hamburg Review

By Boyd van Hoeij30 September 2024

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A confident debut from Cologne-born director Türker Süer marks the director out as a talent to watch

 

EdgeOfNight1_©MatteoCocco

 

Source: Matteo Cocco

 

‘Edge Of Night’

 

Dir/scr: Türker Süer. Germany/Turkey. 2024. 85mins

 

Two estranged brothers from Turkey find themselves on opposing sides in Edge Of Night, the confident debut feature from Cologne-born director Türker Süer. A socio-political parable posing as a military thriller, at least for its first hour, this strikingly shot drama is a solid calling card for Süer. The German-Turkish coproduction premiered at Venice before screening at Toronto and is having its local bow at Hamburg. It should prove itself to be an in-demand title for showcases spotlighting new talent.

 

This strikingly shot drama is a solid calling card for Süer

 

When we first meet Sinan (Ahmet Rifat Sungar, from Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s Three Monkeys and The Wild Pear Tree), he is a seemingly poker-faced lieutenant in the Turkish army. The institution is portrayed as both self-important and cold — think shots of long, empty yet ornate corridors — as well as slightly absurd and pointless (echoes of Mahmut Fazil Coskun’s 2017 tragicomedy The Announcement, about a fictional coup in Turkey).

 

The very serious Sinan is bossed around by those in charge and is asked to accompany a soldier to a military court that is a long drive away. The man in question assaulted a colleague before trying to flee the country. The twist, revealed early on, is that the detainee is Kenan (Berk Hakman, from Emin Alper’s Beyond The Hill), Sinan’s estranged brother.

 

Though this is not exactly a Cain and Abel narrative, there is a lot of friction between the siblings. This has to do with their shared history which is revealed over the course of the narrative – though mainly from Sinan’s point-of-view, as Süer privileges a perspective close to his protagonist. (The drama could have benefitted, especially in its early going, from a more even-keeled approach.) The main bone of contention is how they perceive their duties towards their fatherland and their actual father, a military man who committed suicide years earlier to get out of a long prison sentence. Sinan had a part in his father’s conviction, as he did what he thought was right for the country rather than his family. The irony is that this is a value that their father had instilled in his offspring – though Kenan has another view of things.

 

The family drama is fascinating, especially because Süer, who also wrote the screenplay, deftly uses often minimalistic dialogue to explore the crevices and contradictions of the men’s opposing viewpoints. But this isn’t only a family drama. As they travel through the dark Turkish night, a coup occurs at the highest level of government, throwing events into a tailspin. (The film is set in July 2016, at the time of a real-life coup attempt by a faction of the Turkish Armed Forces). Who do soldiers respond to when the hierarchy becomes unclear? Is it even possible to reach the military court or a military base that’s closer to the protagonists?

 

The coup, which occurs mostly offscreen, overlays the family drama with a political one, and throws into high relief how Sinan and Kenan have displayed very different coping mechanisms as they have tried to keep their heads above water in a rigid hierarchy in an increasingly undemocratic country. Why risk your life for an institution that doesn’t seem to care about yours?

 

Working with Italian cinematographer Matteo Cocco, Süer shows an impressive sense of mise-en-scene and spatial choreography that helps to tell the story visually. Ozan Tekin’s electronic score is atmospheric and builds tension, especially in the more intense first hour which plays like a thriller. If the remaining 25 minutes are less intense they are thematically the richest, as the complex relationship between the siblings further crystallises and Edge Of Night’s thematic interests come to the fore.

 

And The Rest Will Follow | O da Bir Şey mi by Pelin Esmer

Pelin Esmer's "O Da Bir Şey Mi" (O Da Bir Şey Mi) was named Best Film in the National Feature Film Competition as the winner of the 32nd International Adana Golden Boll Film Festival

And The Rest Will Follow (Turkish: O da Bir Şey mi) is a 2025 Turkish, Bulgarian, and Romanian co-produced drama film, directed and written by Pelin Esmer.[1] 

The film had its world premiere on February 1, 2025, at the 54th International Film Festival Rotterdam.

Filming which received support from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism's Directorate General of Cinema and Eurimages, was completed in Söke and Istanbul. The film's Turkish release is planned for the fall.

Famous film director Levent (45), the honorary guest of Soke Film Festival from Istanbul, is completely unaware of Aliye (25), a housekeeper at the hotel where he is staying. However, Aliye, who is trying to tailor a new life story for herself, knows Levent and his films very well. Aliye's intriguing story brings together these two distant people with completely different lives. Now, they have to choose between reality and fiction.

And The Rest Will Follow|  O da Bir Şey mi 

114 min. Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania

Release date: February 1, 2025 (Rotterdam), April 19, 2025 (İstanbul)   

Directed and Written by Pelin Esmer; Produced by Dilde Mahalli (Rosa Film), Pelin Esmer (Sinefilm) ve Kerem Çatay (Ay Yapım); Cinematography by: Barbu Balasoiu; Edited by Özcan Vardar

Cast: Timuçin Esen as Levent; Merve Asya Özgür as Aliye; İpek Bilgin as Nigâr;
Nur Sürer as Gülistan; Mehmet Kurtuluş as Lawyer; Ahmet Sönmez; Şebnem Hassanisoughi as Aynur; Asiye Dinçsoy as Emine

Aliye (25) a young hotel housekeeper has never left her small town Söke where time runs slower, quieter and less promising compared to Istanbul, the home town of well-known film director Levent (45). Aliye sees Levent under the stage lights as an honored guest of the Söke Film Festival, whereas he sees only her arm through the velvet curtain drawn across a service window between the hotel bar and kitchen where she serves clean glasses to the bar counter. All night he watches her arm from the bar side of the curtain while on her kitchen side she stalks and listens to the bar regulars competing with the dramas of their life stories in the presence of this famous director. Wait till you hear mine, she says to herself one day and starts her story she meticulously dreams and lives, slowly recording a tailor made life story for herself. Aliye's voice recordings slowly leak into Levent's life in Istanbul as he is at the edge of an end of story with his wife. Listening to this invisible young woman carries him to some moments from his past that have been waiting until today to shade into a reflective film which will eventually bring him once again to Aliye's town Söke. Levent, sitting again at the bar side of the velvet curtain, this time hearing Aliye's true story from someone else, thinks her life would make a beautiful film and asks her to appear in real. Having listened to her own true story behind the other side of the curtain, Aliye seems more interested in the character she has created by her own hands and leaves the truth to the others.

[1] Pelin Esmer (born 3 May 1972, Istanbul) is a Turkish Film director, screenwriter and film producer.

Pelin Esmer studied sociology at the social sciences department of Boğaziçi University in Istanbul. She made her first short documentary, Koleksiyoncu (The Collector) about her uncle Mithat Esmer, who is also the main character of her first fiction feature, 10 to 11 (2009). Her 2005 work, Oyun, was filmed in Arslanköy and documents the efforts of a group of peasant women who produce a play based on their lives. Her 2012 film, Watchtower, earned five awards, including Best Director at the Adana Golden Boll Film Festival.

Filmography

2002 Koleksiyoncu: The Collector (documentary)

2005 Oyun (documentary)

2009 10 to 11

2012 Watchtower

2017 Something Useful

2019 Queen Lear

2025 And The Rest Will Follow

Awards

Yilmaz Güney Award at the Adana Golden Boll Film Festival 2006 (for Oyun)

Best film from the Black Sea region 2006 (for Oyun)

Best film and best script at the Adana Golden Boll Film Festival 2009 (for 10 to 11)

Best young filmmaker from the Middle East region at the Middle East Film Festival Abu Dhabi in 2009 (for 10 to 11)

REVIEW 1

IFFR 2025 review: And the Rest Will Follow (Pelin Esmer)

“If this film proves anything it is that Pelin Esmer is a gifted storyteller, capable of weaving together lives that you imagine would never have crossed paths if it weren’t for her story.”

What are we, but our life story? Yet Aliye (Merve Asya Özgür), a housekeeper at an old hotel in a small town, prefers to replace her own story, in which she is a struggling woman who has to carry the name of her father’s former lover, with far more interesting ones, such as those of the guests in her hotel. She is a fan of a famous director, Levent (Timuçin Esen), who she admires from afar during a Q&A after a screening at a local festival. While working in the kitchen behind the bar, she overhears the local patrons tell Levent their stories, in hope of becoming the center of one of his films. All Levent sees is the arm through the small window between bar and kitchen. When Aliye decides to tell him her life story by sending him voice messages, Levent becomes intrigued by this mysterious woman and starts to form a story of his own to forget about the drama he just ended, that of his marriage. As they draw closer together, if not physically then at least in their stories, tales real and imagined start to blend.

In And the Rest Will Follow, Turkish director Pelin Esmer’s seventh film, the stories we tell each other are central, so it should be no surprise that narrative and story structure are the main selling points. What started with Esmer seeing a woman’s arm through a service window (much like one of her protagonists sees the other in her film) becomes an intricate tale of two people distant from each other in class, age, and also a geographical sense. And the Rest Will Follow is a film that requires full attention to keep track of the stories the two central characters tell each other and themselves, and in all honesty some of the plot strands that evolve from this do not fully land. A plotline of Levent shooting a short film that will bring him back to the small town of Söke, employing elements of Aliye and Levent’s own stories, doesn’t fit well into the narrative framework of the film, however amusing we find the young boy at the heart of that short (played by a cheeky Oğuz Kara).

With such fcus on story and structure, almost inevitably the other aspects of the film play second fiddle when it comes to drawing attention. Esmer’s direction is assured but sober, with little flight of fancy. The performances of the cast are solid, with Esen a particular standout, but won’t linger for too long. Barbu Bălășoiu’s lush cinematography is particularly noteworthy, with its saturated colors warming up the interiors of the hotel that is central to the film and the two protagonists. But everything circles back to, and is in service of, the storytelling of And the Rest Will Follow. If this film proves anything it is that Pelin Esmer is a gifted storyteller, capable of weaving together lives that you imagine would never have crossed paths if it weren’t for her story. As one of the characters says, “Who cares about the truth” if the story is good?

Awards | The 32nd International Adana Golden Boll Film Festival,

The 32nd International Adana Golden Boll Film Festival, organized by the Adana Metropolitan Municipality and kicking off on September 22nd, concluded with a Grand Closing and Awards Ceremony held at the Çukurova University Congress Center on Saturday evening, September 27th. Hosted by Oylum Talu and Yekta Kopan, the evening featured awards from national and international competitions.

The winners of the 32nd International Adana Golden Boll Film Festival have been announced. Pelin Esmer's "O Da Bir Şey Mi" (O Da Bir Şey Mi) was named Best Film in the National Feature Film Competition, while the Yılmaz Güney Award went to Orhan Eskiköy's "Ev." The Best Documentary Award went to Sibel Karakurt's "Eskisi Gibi," while Fırat Yücel's "Happiness" from Turkey won Best Film in the International Short Film Competition. The Best Screenplay Award in the Literary Adaptation Feature Screenplay Competition went to Pınar Arıkan's "The Severed Head," adapted from Hüseyin Rahmi Gürpınar's novel of the same name.

Best Film: O Da Bir Şey Mi

The jury's grand prize in the National Feature Film Competition went to Pelin Esmer's "O Da Bir Şey Mi." Esmer won Best Director, winning two major awards. Her film also won Best Cinematography (Barbu Balasoiu), Best Art Director (Elif Taşçıoğlu), and the Adana Audience Award.

The Yılmaz Güney Award went to Orhan Eskiköy's "Home," and the Special Jury Prize went to Emine Yıldırım's "Day Apollon, Night Athena."

Best Actress: Bige Önal and Tülin Özen

Strong performances also stood out in the acting categories. The Best Actress Award was shared between Bige Önal for her performance in "Buradayım, İyiyim" (I'm Here, I'm Good) and Tülin Özen for her role in "Perde."

Best Actor: Nazmi Kırık

The Best Actor Award went to Nazmi Kırık for his role in "The Flying Meatball Maker." Supporting actor awards went to Aslı Işık for "The Flying Meatball Maker," Duygu Karaca for "Perde," and Bedir Bedir. The festival's awards dedicated to young talents were presented to Merve Asya Özgür for her performance in "O Da Bir Şey Mi" (O Da Bir Şey Mi) and Mazlum Sümer for her role in "Cinema Jazireh."

Özkan Çelik and Cem Zeynel Kılıç, the writers of "Perde," won the Best Screenplay Award. Erhan Örs won the editing award for "Ev" (Home), and Barış Diri won the music award for "Apollo by Day, Athena by Night."

SİYAD and Film-Yön also voted "O Da Bir Şey Mi" (Is That Something Something)

The Cinema Critics Association (SİYAD) jury selected "O Da Bir Şey Mi" as the best film of the year, while the Film Directors Association (Film-Yön) named Pelin Esmer Best Director.

Best Documentary: As It Used to Be

Sibel Karakurt's "As It Used to Be" was named Best Documentary in the National Documentary Film Competition. Ayşe Çetinbaş and Çayan Demirel's "Kardeş Türküler ile 30 Yıl" received the Special Jury Prize, while Bulut Renas Kaçan's "Döngü" received an Honorable Mention.

Best Short Film from Turkey

Significant productions also stood out in the short film categories. In the International Short Film Competition, Fırat Yücel's "Happiness" from Turkey won the Best Film Award. Nada Khalifa's "Qaher" from Palestine was honored with the Special Jury Prize.

In the National Short Film Competition, Beril Tan's "Alis" was named Best Film, and Saim Güveloğlu's "İnziva" received the Special Jury Prize.

Awards were presented in four different categories at the National Student Film Competition: Tuğba Yaşar's "Rengê Kevîr" (Documentary), Tuğçe Sönmez's "Family Dinner" (Animation), Atahan Yaman's "Mars" (Experimental), and Meltem Naz Salduz and Uğur Yıldırım's "Nepenthe" (Fiction). The Taff Pictures and Fono Film Post-Production Award in this category went to Emre Cef Kamhi's "Actually, Everyone."

"The Severed Head" Award Wins Adapted Screenplay

The Best Screenplay Award in the Adapted Feature Screenplay Competition was awarded to Pınar Arıkan's "The Severed Head," based on Hüseyin Rahmi Gürpınar's novel of the same name. The Special Jury Prize went to Orhan Eskiköy's "Selvi," adapted from his own story.

National Feature Film Competition

Best Film Award (1,750,000 TL): O Da Something Mi (Pelin Esmer)

Yılmaz Güney Award (300,000 TL): Ev (Orhan Eskiköy)

Kadir Beycioğlu Special Jury Prize (150,000 TL): Apollon by Day, Athena by Night (Emine Yıldırım)

Adana Audience Award (150,000 TL): O Da Something Mi (Pelin Esmer)

Best Director Award (300,000 TL): Pelin Esmer (O Da Something Mi)

Best Screenplay Award (150,000 TL): Özkan Çelik, Cem Zeynel Kılıç (Screen)

Best Actress Award (100,000 TL): Bige Önal (Here I Am, I Am Fine), Tülin Özen (Screen)

Best Actor Award (100,000 TL): Nazmi Kırık (Flying) (Köfteci)

Best Music Award (₺50,000): Barış Diri (Apollo by Day, Athena by Night)

Best Cinematography Award (₺100,000): Barbu Balasoiu (O Da Something Mi)

Best Art Director Award (₺100,000): Elif Taşçıoğlu (O Da Something Mi)

Ayhan Ergürsel Best Editing Award (₺100,000): Erhan Örs (Home)

Best Actress in a Supporting Role Award (₺50,000): Aslı Işık (Flying Meatballs), Duygu Karaca (Screenplay)

Best Actor in a Supporting Role Award (₺50,000): Bedir Bedir (Screenplay)

Türkan Şoray Most Promising Young Actress Award: Merve Asya Özgür (O Da Something Mi)

Most Promising Young Actor Award: Mazlum Sümer (Cinema) Jazireh)

SİYAD Cüneyt Cebenoyan Best Film Award: O Da Bir Şey Mi (Pelin Esmer)

Film Direction and Best Director Award: Pelin Esmer (O Da Bir Şey Mi)

Literary Adaptation Feature Screenplay Competition

Best Screenplay Award (150,000 TL): Severed Head – Pınar Arıkan (from Hüseyin Rahmi Gürpınar's novel of the same name)

Jury Special Prize (75,000 TL): Selvi – Orhan Eskiköy (from his own short story of the same name)

Documentary Film Competition

Best Documentary Award (300,000 TL): As It Used to Be (Sibel Karakurt)

Jury Special Prize (100,000 TL): 30 Years with Kardeş Türküler (Kardeş Türküler) (Ayşe Çetinbaş, Çayan Demirel)

Honorable Mention: Loop (Bulut Renas Kaçan)

International Short Film Competition

Best Film Award (100,000 TL): Happiness (Fırat Yücel, Turkey)

Special Jury Prize (50,000 TL): Qaher (Nada Khalifa, Palestine)

National Short Film Competition

Best Film Award (75,000 TL): Alis (Beril Tan)

Special Jury Prize: Seclusion (Saim Güveloğlu)

National Student Film Competition

Best Documentary Film (50,000 TL): Rengê Kevîr (Tuğba Yaşar)

Best Animated Film (50,000 TL): Family Meal (Tuğçe Sönmez)

Best Experimental Film (50,000 TL): Mars (Atahan Yaman)

Best Fiction Film (50,000 TL): Nepenthe (Meltem Naz Salduz, Uğur Yıldırım)

Taff Pictures and Fono Film Post-Production Award: Actually Everyone (Emre Cef Kamhi)

Central Asia’s Glorious Cinema: An Interview with Dina Iordanova

Central Asia’s Glorious Cinema: Distant and Different, From the Edges of the Soviet Empire
Journal Article

In: Studies in World Cinema [1]

ISSN: 

2665-9883

Publication Date: 

05 Sep 2025

An Interview with Dina Iordanova

Authors: 

Aslı Kotaman

 [2] and 

Dina Iordanova [3]

[2]  LEFT Dr. Asli Kotaman was an Associate Researcher at the University of Bonn. Her studies focus on video activism within feminist perspectives.  Fellow at CAIS from October 2023 until March 2024
Visiting Fellow, Scuola imt Alti Studi Lucca, Lucca, Italy

[3] RIGHT Dina Iordanova Emeritus Professor, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK, Dina Iordanova (born 1960) was Professor of Film Studies  at the University of St. Andrews. A specialist in world cinema, her special expertise is in the cinema of the Balkans, Eastern Europe, and Europe in general. Her research approaches cinema on a meta-national level and focuses on the dynamics of transnational film; she has special interest in issues related to cinema at the periphery and in alternative historiography. She has published extensively on international and transnational film art and film industry and convenes research networks on film festivals and on the Dynamics of World Cinema, with funding from the Leverhulme Trust. 

Online Publication Date: 

05 Sep 2025

Abstract
A discussion of Soviet-era filmmaking in the five Central Asian republics (Kazakh ssr, Kyrgyz ssr, Tajik ssr, Turkmen ssr, and Uzbek ssr) which addresses the marginalization faced by republican studios within the ussr, whilst offering insights into the spatial, logistical, thematic, and aesthetic specificities of filmmaking across a wide and diverse territory. The transnational approach allows assessing the positioning of regional cinemas within the broader Soviet system with its structural hierarchies and centralized oversight of production, distribution, and education. The effort is to understand these cinemas not merely as provincial extensions of Moscow-based production, but as historically and culturally situated practices requiring closer attention within world cinema scholarship.

[1] Studies in World Cinema A Critical Journal
Editor-in-Chief: Eva Jørholt Associate Editors: Olivia Khoo , Jeremi Szaniawski , and Stefanie Van De Peer

Studies in World Cinema: A Critical Journal takes a pluralistic, polycentric and non-normative approach to the notion of ‘world cinema,’ treating it as a fluid and expansive term. The journal examines both local and global cinematic perspectives and their points of intersection, taking into account historical contexts as well as contemporary developments. It also explores the power dynamics surrounding access to and visibility in the global film market.

Contributions from scholars worldwide are welcomed on a variety of topics such as traveling cinematic tropes, creolization, transnational practices, global genres, remakes and adaptations in new settings, translation cultures, migrant and diasporic films, collaborations, co-productions, film festivals, multinational filmmaking and films addressing global issues like climate change and globalization. The journal also explores how new technologies influence global film distribution and how cinema creates new perceptions of the world. Theoretical reflections on ‘world cinema’ and related terms, such as transnational cinema, are also encouraged, with many more subjects open for exploration.

The editorial board of the SWC warmly welcomes submissions for open-call issues.
The journal also publishes themed special issues, for which contributions are invited from guest editors. Guest editors who are interested to submit a proposal for a special issue can contact the publisher, Masja Horn, masja.horn@brill.com

Peer Review Policy: All articles published in Studies in World Cinema: A Critical Journal undergo a double-anonymous external peer review process. This includes articles published in special issues.

Early Winter by Özcan Alper

 

Early Winter by Özcan Alper [1] (TR, 2025, 92')

When war erupts between Russia and Ukraine, a Turkish couple's surrogacy plan takes an unexpected turn, forcing their surrogate, Lia—a young artist of Ukrainian and Georgian descent—to stay in Istanbul longer than planned. As tensions grow over Lia’s bond with the baby, the couple decides to send her back, but Lia instead chooses to return to Georgia. What begins as a simple journey to the Georgian border transforms into a three-day passage where Lia and Ferhat, the husband, confront their fears and redefine their ideas of family and belonging. 

Credits

Directed by Özcan Alper; Written by Uğur Aydedim; Produced by Soner Alper; Cinematography by Yağız Yavru; Co-Produced by Sky Films

Cast: Timuçin Esen & Leyla Tanlar

International Sales Agent: ArtHood Entertainment GmbH [2]
Franz-Mehring-Platz 1 10243 Berlin / Germany
E: info@arthoodentertainment.com / T: +49 30 25561165

[1]  Özcan Alper (born 1975) is a Turkish film director and screenwriter of Hemshin descent.

He studied at Trabzon Lisesi. In 1992, he moved to Istanbul to study at Istanbul University Engineering Faculty in the Physics Department and then moved to Istanbul University Literature Faculty where he studied History of Sciences and graduated in 2003.

Since 1996, he was interested in films and took part in workshops organized by Mezopotamya Culture Center, the Nâzım Culture House (now renamed Nâzım Hikmet Culture Center). Starting 2000 started assisting in films under the supervision of film director Yeşim Ustaoğlu.

After being assistant director in the short Toprak, he filmed Momi as his first short film as main director. He also shot the documentary Tokai City'de Melankoli ve Rapsodi in Japan following it with yet another documentary entitled Bir Bilimadamıyla Zaman Enleminde Yolculuk.

In 2008, Alper released his first long feature Sonbahar (Autumn in Turkish) with multiple awards as a newcomer. He followed that with another critically acclaimed film Gelecek Uzun Sürer (English title Future Lasts Forever) that has also won important awards.

Filmography

Director

2006: Saklı Yüzler (as assistant director)

2007: Sonbahar (director), English title Autumn

2011: Gelecek Uzun Sürer, English title Future Lasts Forever

2015: Rüzgarın Hatıraları, English title Memories Of The Wind

Screenwriter

2007: Sonbahar (director), English title Autumn

2010: Kars Öyküleri

2011: Gelecek Uzun Sürer, English title Future Lasts Forever

2015: Rüzgarın Hatıraları, English title Memories Of The Wind

Shorts

1999: Toprak as assistant director (short film)

2001: Momi, director (short film)

Documentaries

Tokai City'de Melankoli ve Rapsodi

Bir Bilimadamıyla Zaman Enleminde Yolculuk

Actor

2011: Fotoğraf

Awards

For Sonbahar (Autumn)

2008: Won "Best Film" and "Jury Award" at the 15th Adana Altın Koza Film Festivali, Turkey

2008: Won NETPAC Award at the Avrasya International Film Festivali

2008: Won "C.I.C.A.E. Award" at Locarno International Film Festival

2008: Won "Silver Prometheus" at the Tbilisi International Film Festival

2009: Won "Best film" at the Ankara International Film Festival

2009: Won "Best director" at the Ankara International Film Festival

2009: Won "Best director" at the Sofia International Film Festival

2009: Won "FIPRESCI Prize" at the Yerevan International Film Festival

2009: Won "Jury Special Prize" for Best Film at the Yerevan International Film Festival

2009: Won "Best First Film" at the 2nd Yeşilçam Awards

2009: Nominated for "European Discovery of the Year" at the European Film Awards

2022: Received the Directors award from the Bogazici Film Festival, he dedicated the prize to Sebnem Korur Fincanci, the president of the Turkish Medical Association.[3]

For Gelecek Uzun Sürer (Future Lasts Forever)

At the Adana Altın Koza Film Festival

Best Director

Best Actor

Yılmaz Güney Award

At the Malatya International Film Festival

Best Film

Best Director

Best Musik

At Kerala International Film Festival

"FIPRESCI Best Film Award"

[2] ArtHood Entertainment GmbH is a Berlin-based world distributor of arthouse and auteur cinema with a special focus on European films as well as innovative works from all over the world. The focus is on the commitment to artistically sophisticated cinema with social relevance and an unmistakable narrative signature.

The company's goal is to facilitate access to the European and international market for emerging filmmakers worldwide while creating spaces for creative and intercultural exchange.

The sister company ArtHood Films is a dynamic production company that is characterized by its openness to diverse topics, talents and production styles. It maintains close cooperation with filmmakers from Europe, the Middle East and beyond and sees itself as a bridge between international narrative worlds and the German and European film industry.

Said Nur Akkus, CEO & Producer

akkus@arthoodentertainment.com

Said Nur Akkus is the founder of the German-Turkish world distributor ArtHood Entertainment and the film production company ArtHood Films. He was born in Turkey in 1986. He has been living in Berlin since 2011. In his role as producer, film executive and head of production, he has realized a variety of internationally acclaimed, award-winning films. Among others, he was head of production for the documentary THE LEGEND OF THE UGLY KING (2017) about the work of Turkish-Kurdish filmmaker Yilmaz Güney, which premiered at the 42nd Toronto International Film Festival and received the "Öngören Prize for Democracy and Human Rights" at the Film Days Turkey-Germany in Nuremberg. He served as producer for the "Best Film" winner of the Olhares Do Mediterráneo ÖTEKILER (2016) by Ayse Polat.

As We Breathe | Aldığımız Nefes by Seyhmus Altun

Şeyhmus Altun's debut feature, "Aldığımızı Nefes" (The Breath We Take), will have its world premiere in Toronto 2025 and its European premiere at the San Sebastián Film Festival.

The film, which will premiere in the Discovery section of the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, will premiere in Europe at the San Sebastián International Film Festival. 

These two prestigious festivals are known for discovering new talent and fostering powerful stories. "Aldığımızı Nefes" brings the story of hope and resilience of a child forced to grow up at an early age to the international stage.

Seyhmus Altun was born in Diyarbakır, Turkey and currently lives in Copenhagen. He graduated from Istanbul Bilgi University’s Cinema and Television Department. He has directed the short film All the Light We Cannot See (19) and the television series Esik (21). As We Breath (25) is his feature debut.

As We Breathe | Aldığımız Nefes by Seyhmus Altun [1]

TIFF TORONTO,CANADA / WORLD PREMIERE

Turkey, Denmark | 2025 | 95m | Turkish

When a chemical fire spreads smoke across her village, young Esma must help her father manage new and old troubles in this brutal and powerful look at a rural Anatolian family.

In an Anatolian village, young Esma’s family is shaken after a horrific fire in the chemical plant where her father Mehmet (Hakan Karsak) works. Amidst the dense fog of smoke writhing its way across the area, families are being evacuated, with children falling ill, and economic hardship from the plant’s sudden closure will plague all. As Esma (Defne Zeynep Enci) observes her father's struggle to keep his family safe despite his continuing refusal to evacuate their family home, her perspective shifts as to the real cause of the strife.

A jarring take on a coming-of-age tale, emanating from a child’s wide-eyed perspective of adult complications, As We Breathe steadily builds thick tension, bookended with brutal moments of unexpected violence. Anchored by powerful work from Karsak, matched with a prodigious performance from new face Enci, the father/daughter dynamic hypnotically shifts between charming and harrowing. Expertly assisted by director of photography Cevahir Şahin (About Dry Grasses, TIFF ’23), director Șeyhmus Altun deftly conveys the seeming senselessness of the world when seen through a child’s eyes.

Enci’s instinctual and deliberate performance adds authenticity to this story, which originates in Altun’s own childhood. With moments of sweetness to balance the bitter, the film is punctuated with a pulsing score that steadies the laughter of Esma’s little brothers and highlights her dual roles as caretaker and child herself. Though perhaps wise beyond her years, Esma is not impervious to the leaden plume of smoke descending on her home, one that eventually takes a toll on her mind as much as it might on her body.

DOROTA LECH

CREDITS:

Directed by Seyhmus Altun; Cinematography by Cevahir Sahin; Editing by Evren Lus; Executive Producer: Fevziye Hazal Yazan; Producers: Fevziye Hazal Yazan, Seyhmus Altun. Johanna Sveinsdottir; Production Companies: Jurnal Kolektif, Punktur Pictures; Production Designer Sevi Sevgi; Costume Designer: Cigdem Ulusu; Screenplay: Seyhmus Altun; Sound: Dogukan Cicek; Original Score: Artem Litovchenko; Cast: Hakan Karsak, Defne Zeynep Enci

Publicists: ZB Medya Iletisim, Batuhan Zumrut
International Sales Agent: ArtHood Entertainment GmbH [2]
Franz-Mehring-Platz 1 10243 Berlin / Germany
E: info@arthoodentertainment.com / T: +49 30 25561165

[1] A filmmaker with a degree in Cinema and Television from Istanbul Bilgi University, combining strong technical skills with creative vision. With extensive experience in film direction, video editing, and shooting, expertise spans both commercial and narrative projects. Co-founded Mental Film in 2018, focusing on independent creative vision and producing multiple award-winning projects.

Specialized in commercial directing, with a proven track record of crafting narratives that align with brand objectives while maintaining high production values. Proficient in scriptwriting, with the ability to develop original content that engages diverse audiences. Experienced in all stages of production—from conceptualizing and shooting to editing and final delivery—ensuring seamless project execution and high-quality results.

A standout achievement includes the debut feature film Memento Non Mori, currently in post-production. Written and directed, the film was supported by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism's First Feature Fiction Film grant and featured in the Work-in-Progress sections at the San Sebastián Film Festival and Antalya Film Festival, where it won the WIP Award."

Seyhmus Altun was born in Diyarbakır, Turkey and currently lives in Copenhagen. He graduated from Istanbul Bilgi University’s Cinema and Television Department. He has directed the short film All the Light We Cannot See (19) and the television series Esik (21). As We Breath (25) is his feature debut.

[2] ArtHood Entertainment GmbH is a Berlin-based world distributor of arthouse and auteur cinema with a special focus on European films as well as innovative works from all over the world. The focus is on the commitment to artistically sophisticated cinema with social relevance and an unmistakable narrative signature.

The company's goal is to facilitate access to the European and international market for emerging filmmakers worldwide while creating spaces for creative and intercultural exchange.

The sister company ArtHood Films is a dynamic production company that is characterized by its openness to diverse topics, talents and production styles. It maintains close cooperation with filmmakers from Europe, the Middle East and beyond and sees itself as a bridge between international narrative worlds and the German and European film industry.

Said Nur Akkus

CEO & Producer

akkus@arthoodentertainment.com

Said Nur Akkus is the founder of the German-Turkish world distributor ArtHood Entertainment and the film production company ArtHood Films. He was born in Turkey in 1986. He has been living in Berlin since 2011. In his role as producer, film executive and head of production, he has realized a variety of internationally acclaimed, award-winning films. Among others, he was head of production for the documentary THE LEGEND OF THE UGLY KING (2017) about the work of Turkish-Kurdish filmmaker Yilmaz Güney, which premiered at the 42nd Toronto International Film Festival and received the "Öngören Prize for Democracy and Human Rights" at the Film Days Turkey-Germany in Nuremberg. He served as producer for the "Best Film" winner of the Olhares Do Mediterráneo ÖTEKILER (2016) by Ayse Polat.

62. Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival Announced

 The films competing for the Golden Orange in the National Feature Film, National Short Film, and National Documentary Film Competitions at the 62nd International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival have been announced.

The National Feature Film Competition of the 62nd International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, which will be held from October 24 to November 2, 2025, features 12 films.

The pre-selection committee for the National Feature Film Competition includes Prof. Dr. Nazlı Eda Noyan, founding chair of the Cartoon and Animation Department at Bahçeşehir University's Faculty of Communication; Hüseyin Kuzu, screenwriter, author, and academic; and Associate Professor Dr. Suncem Koçer, faculty member at Koç University's Department of Media and Visual Arts. The competition features a wide range of films from diverse cinematic cultures.

The awards for the 62nd International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival will be announced at the awards ceremony to be held on Saturday, November 1, 2025.

National Feature Film Competition

• Aldığımız Nefes / As We Breath — Director: Şeyhmus Altun | Producer: Şeyhmus Altun, Fevziye Hazal Yazan

• Bağlar, Kökler ve Tutkular/Ties, Roots, and Passions — Director: Sunay Terzioğlu | Producer: Timur Harzadın

• Barcelona/Barcelo — Director: Erdem Yener | Producers: Hüseyin Yener, Erdem Yener

• Doğudan Fragmanlar/Trailers from the East — Director: K. Erkan Yazıcı | Producer: Mahpare Tanın, Myrıam Carrel

• En Güzel Cenaze Şarkıları/The Most Beautiful Funeral Songs — Director: Ziya Demirel | Producer: Anna M aria Aslanoğlu, Emre Oskay

• Erken Kışlar/Ealy Winter — Director: Özcan Alper | Producers: Emre Oskay, Soner Alper

• Kanto — Director: Ensar Altay | Producers: Süleyman Civliz, Ensar Altay

• Noir — Director: Ragıp Ergün | Producers: Özlem Öcalmaz Yıldız, Jeanne-Peri Foucault, Ozan Yıldız, Ragıp Ergün

• Kesilmiş Bir Ağaç Gibi /Like a Felled Tree — Director: Tunç Davut | Producers: Sinem Altındağ, Hakkı Yazıcı, Cem Yılmazer, Tunç Davut, Faruk Güven

• Parçalı Yıllar/Fragmented Years — Director: Hasan Tolga Pulat | Producers: Tuncay Kaymaz, Tayfun Burus

• Sahibinden Rahmet /Mercy from the Owner — Directors: Emre Sert, Gözde Yetişkin | Producers: Kerem Çelebi, Emre Sert, Gözde Yetişkin, Ender Sevim

• Tavşan İmparatorluğu /Empire of the Rabbits— Director & Producer: Seyfettin Tokmak

EMPIRE OF THE RABBITS / TAVŞAN İMPARATORLUĞU
Seyfettin Tokmak | TÜRKİYE, MEXICO, CROATIA

Somewhere in rural Turkey, 12-year-old Musa has recently lost his mother, and his father Beko is now insisting that the boy join other local boys in pretending to be disabled and attending a special needs school a money-making scheme designed to cheat the state of disability funding run by Beko’s criminal boss Muzaffer He also runs an illegal greyhound race, with Beko providing the rabbits for prey while he learns the tricks of playing a cripple from Muzaffer’s young daughter Nergis. As the suppression of their adult world increases, Musa rescues her into his dream of a rabbit empire founded in an old mine.

Tallinn Black Nights (November 11- 24, 2024, Estonia)

Best Screenplay and Best Cinematography awards.