"Midnight, Turkish Time" is a thematic compilation of shorts from a unique timezone where the past and the future are intertwined, bewilderment walks hand in hand with resignation, and uneasiness with defiance. It's a cheeky playlist.
GOING OUT TO GET WATER
2016, FICTION, HD, 4’08’’
DIRECTOR: ESME MADRA
SCREENPLAY: ESME MADRA, GİZEM BAYIKSEL
ORIGINAL MUSIC: BERKANT KILIÇKAP
PRODUCER: GİZEM BAYIKSEL
CAST: CEMRE EBÜZZİYA, MÜGE BÜYÜKTALAŞ, SİNAN BERKSÖZ
DOP: GİZEM BAYIKSEL
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: BURCU BİLGİÇ
CAMERA ASSISTANT: GÖKTAN GÖKTAŞ
EDITING: FEHİME SEVEN
SOUND DESIGN: BERKANT KILIÇKAP
After a depressing night, a young woman decides to get out of the house.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Esme Madra (Istanbul, 1987) lives in Istanbul. She acts in films and theatre, and also writes and directs short features. Her key films include Grueling And His Wife (2012).
www.vimeo.com/esmemadra
CYCLE
2016, ANIMATION, HD, 5’08’’
DIRECTOR: KORAY SEVİNDİ
SCREENPLAY: KORAY SEVİNDİ
ORIGINAL MUSIC: NAZIM ÇINAR
PRODUCER: HAKAN SANCAKTUTAN
CONCEPT DESIGN: KORAY SEVİNDİ, HASAN AKTAŞ
CHARACTER AND BACKGROUND DRAWINGS: KORAY SEVİNDİ, HASAN AKTAŞ
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: MELTEM İŞLER
ANIMATION AND EDITING: KORAY SEVİNDİ
What’s known as the ‘post-modern coup’ that took place in Turkey on February 28th 1997, had permanent effects on a young girl’s mind.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Koray Sevindi (Istanbul, 1987) lives in Istanbul. He studied engineering at ITU and directing at New York Film Academy. He worked as assistant director in several feature films, shorts, documentaries and commercials. His short films and animations have been screened at more than a hundred international festivals, winning him over twenty awards. His key films include The Head (2014) and Bread (2012)
www.koraysevindi.com
LOST IN TRANSITION
2016 FICTION, HD, 12’30’’
DIRECTOR: PINAR ÖĞÜNÇ
SCREENPLAY: PINAR ÖĞÜNÇ
ORIGINAL MUSIC: BÜLENT YURTTAŞ
PRODUCER: ÖZGÜR DOĞAN
CAST: SEVİNÇ ERBULAK, BEYTİ ENGİN, CAN BARTU ARSLAN
DOP: ATIL ONUR DEMİR
EDITING: FİRUZE ENGİN
SOUND DESIGN: BÜLENT YURRTAŞ, OĞUZ KAYNAK
PHOTOGRAPHY: ŞAHAN NUHOĞLU
A family’s life takes an unexpected turn when they recieve an official notice about a highway that will be passing through their son’s bedroom. And so begins the fantastic transformation of their family home...,
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Pınar Öğünç (İstanbul, 1975) lives in Istanbul. She has been working as a journalist since 1997. Her published books include ‘Jet Rejisör’, ‘İnce İşler’, ‘Asker Doğmayanlar’ and ‘Aksi Gibi’. Lost in Transition is her first film as director.
SOUTH POLE
2016,FICTION, HD, 5’08’’
DIRECTOR: EMİN AKPINAR
SCREENPLAY: EMİN AKPINAR
PRODUCER: EMİN AKPINAR
CAST: AYBERK ATTİLA, ÖZKAN AYALP, TÜLAY BEKRET
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: AYŞEGÜL TAŞKIRAN
DOP: BAYBARS TEKİN
ASSISTANT DIRECTORS: ÜLKÜ OKTAY, MUSTAFA EMİN BÜYÜKCOŞKUN
POST-PRODUCTION: MEHMET KIZILAY
Muhsin is an ordinary retired man. One day, as he is having a haircut, he sees his own mugshot on TV. The reporter claims that Muhsin is the head of a terrorist group and that he is going to be killed during the protests planned that day.
www.facebook.com/southpole.film
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Emin Akpınar (Ankara, 1982) lives in Istanbul. After completing his studies in engineering, he attended New York Film Academy to study film. He worked in several films, documentaries and TV series as director’s assistant and camera operator. South Pole is his first film as director.
CHOKE
2016, EXPERIMENTAL, HD, 5’05’’
DIRECTOR: BURKAY DOĞAN
SCREENPLAY: BURKAY DOĞAN
PRODUCER: BİLGE TAŞ
CAST: SELİM KALIÇ, PELİN TEMUR, MERVE ARSLAN
DOP: BULUT RENAS KAÇAN
ART DIRECTOR: MERVE GÜLGÜ
SOUND DESIGN: BURAK DOĞAN
EDITING: BURKAY DOĞAN
A bus fleeting from war and collapse, and people waiting for the bus; a humanity that is choking.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Burkay Doğan (Ankara, 1982) lives in Ankara. He graduated from the Department of Civil Engineering, Anadolu University in 2005. He works in photography, literature and video while continuing to develop his short film projects. His key films include About Ugurkaymazs’ (2006), Average 40 Matches (2007) and State of Potential Slains (2013)
www.burkaydogan.com
RABBIT BLOOD
2016, ANİMASYON, HD, 4’36’’
DIRECTOR: YAĞMUR ALTAN
SCREENPLAY: YAĞMUR ALTAN
ORIGINAL MUSIC: MEHMET AYDIN
PRODUCER: YAĞMUR ALTAN
SOUND DESIGN: JOHN MATIUZZI
STORYBOARD ARTIST: MILAN DELVECCHIO
TECHNICAL ARTIST: HARRIS WU
ANIMATOR: YEE SUM HOI, JUSTIN TSAI
Just an ordinary day at an old mysterious Turkish country house whose residents have an extraordinary way of brewing tea.
www.facebook.com/rabbitblood
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Yağmur Altan (İstanbul, 1985) lives in London. He received his bachelor’s degree from Sabancı University and completed his master’s degree on 3D Animation at the School of Visual Arts in New York. He is currently working as design manager at AOL. Rabbit Blood, which was screened at over a hundred festivals around the world, winning awards at Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival and Catalina Film Festival, is his first film as director.
A MEMORY OF DEMOCRACY
2016, EXPERIMENTAL, HD, 2’38’’
DIRECTOR: LEVENT ÇETİN
SCREENPLAY: LEVENT ÇETİN
PRODUCER: LEVENT ÇETİN
A day after the attempted military coup in Turkey, people came across abandoned tanks. Their first thought was to take selfies and photos with the tanks. This film was made the morning after the failed coup attempt in Turkey on July 15th, 2016.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Levent Çetin (İstanbul, 1975) lives in Istanbul. He studied Film and Television at Marmara University and did his masters in the same field at Istanbul Bilgi University. After working in the film and media industries for years, he shot his first feature film Sivil in 2013 and is now working on his documentary project At Hikayeleri, which is supported by the New Film Fund. His key films include Bayrakları Seven Şehir (2011).
THE LAST SCHNITZEL
2016, FICTION, HD, 22’13’’
DIRECTORS: İSMET KURTULUŞ, KAAN ARICI
SCREENPLAY: İSMET KURTULUŞ, KAAN ARICI, ONUR KORALP
ORIGINAL MUSIC: EMİR YARGIN
PRODUCER: İSMET KURTULUŞ, KAAN ARICI, KEREM CENGİL, JENS-ERIK MAJLUND
CAST: HALUK BİLGİNER, ŞEVKET SÜHA TEZEL, SERKAN KESKİN
DOP: ALP KORFALI
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: RESMİYE EMİR
EDITING: TORBEN TIKØBSEN
PRODUCTION DESIGN: GUSTAV PONTOPPIDAN
VISUAL EFFECTS SUPERVISOR: KEREM CENGİL
The Earth is on the brink of destruction and the president of The Grand Turkish Republic demands a schnitzel before allowing any Turks to leave the planet. His hapless assistant Kamil must come up with the fried meat, despite the fact that the last time a chicken was seen in existence was over 200 years ago.
ABOUT THE DIRECTORS
İsmet Kurtuluş (Ankara, 1983) lives in Istanbul. He directs commercials, films and VR films. His social campaign The Sea Cemetery: In Memory of Syrian Refugees was shortlisted at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in 2016, and won awards at the Golden Drum Festival of Creativity and Crystal Apple Festival of Creativity. His key films include Turkey’s first puppet feature film Rimo and Zimo: Peace in Town (2014), which he codirected, and It’s Me (2012).
www.ismetkurtulus.com
Kaan Arıcı (Adana, 1984) lives in Istanbul. He graduated from Istanbul Bilgi University’s Film & TV department and did his masters degree in Film Studies at UCPH in Copenhagen. Arıcı recently completed his second master’s degree in Cognition and Communication at the same university. His key films include Drive Baby Drive (2012)
