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Güney and his work were almost entirely unknown outside of his homeland Turkey until his 1981 escape from imprisonment in Turkey and his "discovery" the following year at the Cannes Film Festival for his autobiographical screenplay for Yol (1982), the festival's grand prize winner. Born in 1937 in a village near the southern city of Adana, Güney studied law and economics at the universities in Ankara and Istanbul, but by the age of 21 he found himself actively involved in filmmaking. As Yesilcam, the Turkish studio system, grew in strength, a handful of directors, including Atif Yilmaz, began to use the cinema as a means of addressing the problems of the people. Only state-sanctioned melodramas, war films and play adaptations had previously played in Turkish theaters, but these new filmmakers began to fill the screens with more artistic, personal and relevant pictures of Turkish & Kurdish life. The most popular name to emerge from the Young Turkish Cinema was that of Yilmaz Güney. Güney was a gruff-looking young actor who earned the moniker "Cirkin Kral," or "the Ugly King." After apprenticing as a screenwriter for and assistant to Atif Yilmaz, Güney soon began appearing in as many as 20 films a year and became Turkey's most popular actor. More than a screen idol, Güney was a Kurdish who believed in the Kurdish people and their way of life, as well as being personally committed to social change. Although the early 1960s brought some political reform to Turkey, Güney was imprisoned in 1961 for 18 months for publishing a "communist" novel. The country's political situation and Güney's relationship with the authorities only became more tense in the ensuing years. Not content with his star status atop the Turkish film industry, Güney began directing his own pictures in 1965 and, by 1968, had formed his own production company, Güney Filmcilik. Over the next few years, the titles of his films mirrored the feelings of the Kurdish people: Hope (1970); Agit (1971); _Acý (1971)_; The Hopeless Ones (1971). After 1972, however, Güney would spend most of his life in prison. Arrested for harboring anarchist students, Güney was jailed during preproduction on The Poor (1975) (completed in 1975), and before completing Anxiety (1974), which was finished in 1974 by Güney's assistant, Serif Gören. This was a cherished role that Gören would repeat over the next dozen years, directing several scripts that Güney wrote laboriously while behind bars. Released from prison in 1974 as part of a general amnesty, Güney was re-arrested that same year for shooting a judge. During this stretch of incarceration, his most successful screenplays were The Herd (1978) and The Enemy (1980), both directed by Zeki Ökten. After escaping from prison in 1981 and fleeing to France, Güney was greeted at the Cannes Film Festival with a Palme d'Or for Yol (1982), again directed by Gören. It was not until 1983 that Güney resumed directing, telling a brutal tale of imprisoned children in his final film, The Wall (1983), made in France with the cooperation of the French government. At that point, Güney's name was unspeakable in his homeland; eleven of the films he directed or appeared in were confiscated and reportedly burned to ashes; even so much as writing about Güney was forbidden. Despite the great international success of Yol and Duvar, Güney was ultimately a Kurdish director for the Kurdish people; his final separation from his home audience must have been even more painful to endure than his years of imprisonment.

Nuri Bilge Ceylan is a Turkish filmmaker whose introspective and visually stunning films have garnered international acclaim. His career trajectory, marked by a shift from engineering to filmmaking, is a testament to his dedication to artistic expression and exploration of the human condition.

Ceylan's early interest in image and visual arts was nurtured during his studies at Bogaziçi University. His involvement in the photography club and exposure to cinema through film classes and screenings at the Film Society ignited his passion for filmmaking. After graduating with a degree in Electrical Engineering and completing his military service, Ceylan chose to pursue his cinematic dreams, studying film at Mimar Sinan University while working as a professional photographer.

Ceylan's first foray into filmmaking was as an actor in a short film directed by his friend Mehmet Eryilmaz. He soon transitioned behind the camera, directing his debut short film, "Koza" (1995), which made history as the first Turkish short film selected for competition at the Cannes Film Festival. This early success set the stage for his "provincial trilogy": "Kasaba" (1997), "Mayis Sikintisi" (1999), and "Uzak" (2002). In these films, Ceylan took on multiple roles, showcasing his meticulous attention to detail and his ability to craft deeply personal and evocative stories. "Uzak" (2002) won the Grand Prix and Best Actor awards at Cannes, catapulting Ceylan to international recognition.

Ceylan's subsequent films continued to explore the complexities of human relationships and the nuances of emotional landscapes. "Iklimler" (2006) won the FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes, while "Uç Maymun" (2008) earned him the Best Director award. His masterpiece "Bir Zamanlar Anadolu'da" (2011) won the Grand Prix at Cannes, solidifying his reputation as a filmmaker of exceptional talent. "Kis Uykusu" (2014), his seventh feature film, garnered the Palme d'Or and the FIPRESCI prize at Cannes, further cementing his position as a leading figure in world cinema.

In recent years, Ceylan has continued to challenge himself with ambitious projects. His 2023 film "Kuru Otlar Ustüne" ("About Dry Grasses") is a visually stunning and emotionally charged drama that explores themes of isolation, disillusionment, and the search for meaning in life. The film was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Best Actress award for Merve Dizdar.

Nuri Bilge Ceylan's films are characterized by their slow pace, meticulous attention to detail, and exploration of complex emotional states. His visual style, often inspired by his background in photography, creates a sense of atmosphere and mood that draws viewers into the world of his characters. Ceylan's unflinching portrayal of human relationships, combined with his poetic visual language, have earned him a dedicated following and a place among the most respected filmmakers of our time.

Zeki Demirkubuz is a Turkish filmmaker known for his unflinching and uncompromising approach to cinema. His films often delve into the dark recesses of the human psyche, exploring themes of guilt, morality, and the complexities of relationships. Demirkubuz's personal experiences, including a tumultuous youth marked by political activism and imprisonment, have undoubtedly influenced his artistic vision.

After dropping out of high school, Demirkubuz worked in a textile workshop and as a street vendor. Following the 1980 coup d'état in Turkey, he was unjustly imprisoned without trial for three years, enduring torture due to alleged communist activities. Despite this traumatic experience, he persevered, graduating with a degree in Communications Engineering from Istanbul University.

His passion for filmmaking led him to work as an assistant director before founding his own production company, Mavi Film. Demirkubuz's fiercely independent nature is reflected in his work, where he maintains creative control over nearly every aspect of his films. This uncompromising spirit allows him to create a unique cinematic language that often challenges conventional storytelling.

Demirkubuz's filmography is characterized by a bleak realism and a focus on the psychological struggles of his characters. His debut film, "C Blok" (1994), laid the groundwork for his signature style, while "Masumiyet" (1997) and "Üçüncü Sayfa" (1999) garnered international recognition at prestigious film festivals. His "Tales of Darkness" trilogy, consisting of "Yazgi" (2001) and "Itiraf" (2001), Bekleme Odasi (2003) further solidified his reputation as a filmmaker who confronts difficult subjects with unflinching honesty.

His film "Kader" (2006) won the Best Film prize at the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, a testament to his ability to create emotionally resonant and thought-provoking works. In more recent years, Demirkubuz continued to explore existential themes in films like "Yeralti" (2012) and "Bulanti" (2015).

Zeki Demirkubuz remains a vital figure in Turkish cinema, a director who fearlessly tackles complex and often disturbing subjects with a distinct artistic vision. His uncompromising approach and willingness to explore the darker aspects of the human condition have earned him both critical acclaim and a dedicated following.

Onur Ünlü is a Turkish film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. He was born in Izmit, Turkey in 1973. He studied Communication Arts in Anadolu University. He gained a Master's degree on Communication Studies from Marmara University. He is a poet and a musician at the same time. All of his poems are published as a book called "Gidiyorum Bu" (Going That). The first movie he has directed, produced and written is called "Polis" (Police)(2006). He was the director of famous Turkish TV show, "Leyla ile Mecnun", which turned out to be the most successful comedy show of the recent years in Turkey. The show has turned out to be a phenomenon in Turkey through the years it was on. He also starred in the TV show "Ben de Ozledim", which is the continuing story of "Leyla ile Mecnun". His movies, "Bes Sehir" (Five Cities) (2009), "Celal Tan ve Ailesinin Asiri Acikli Hikayesi" (The Extremely Tearful Story of Celal Tan and His Family) (2011), "Sen Aydinlatirsin Geceyi" (Thou Gild'st the Even) (2013) and Itirazim Var"(Objection)(2014) are awarded by the international movie festivals.

Yavuz Turgul was born in Istanbul, 1946. He worked as journalist for many years. In 1976 he started to write scripts with the support of Ertem Egilmez. His first directing experience came with the movie Fahriye Abla, in 1984. He worked with famous Turkish actor Sener Sen in so many movies. Turgul is one of the best directors in Turkey and he is still working on new movie projects.

Born in 1929, Metin Erksan is one of the first Turkish filmmakers who saw cinema as an art form apart from a mass entertaining medium. Having studied art history in Istanbul University and being the brother of a little known director named Cetin Karamanbey, Erksan found himself at a very early age in a favourable position to combine film practice with aesthetic concerns. He worked as his elder brother's assistant for a short while and made his first debut with the script of "Binnaz" (1950) shot for Atlas Film Production Company. As many other filmmakers of the era who took the seventh art seriously, Erksan worked as a columnist in papers and film periodicals before engaging in active filmmaking. Metin Erksan's first film as a director that also heralded the unique and controversial place he would later occupy in the history of Turkish cinema was 'Asik Veysel' in "Hayati" (1952). Telling the dramatic life of the famous blind poet and song writer Asik Veysel, the film was later prohibited by the censure committe for showing the Turkish land as "infertile". With the advent of the social realist movement following the 1960 Coup d'Etat in Turkey, Erksan established himself as the "enfant prodige" of the post 60 era. Among the best films made during this period (including the Golden Bear Awarded Susuz Yaz (Dry Summer)) Erksan's work occupy a central place. His films are the fruits of an eclectic mixture of modernist themes (i.e. individual loneliness), metaphysics (the fight of good vs evil), and notions of Marxism. As other "engagé" directors of the era who did not only saw them as artists but also as "social engineers", Erksan played a major role in the foundation of the Union of Turkish Film Workers and the Association of Turkish Filmmakers. He was also Turkish Labour Party's candidate of Istanbul in the General Elections of 1965. But it is important to stress that Erksan's films are primarily praised for their aesthetic maturity which coexisted (until 1965) with a firm social commitment. Like other filmmakers who had to work within the narrow confines of the Turkish film industry, Erksan also shot commercial films to survive within the liberal minded Pine Tree (Yesilcam) system. After 1965, he gradually abandoned his social outlook and made either market oriented popular films or violent personal phantasies focusing on themes of loneliness and obsessive love. After shooting short films and serials for the Turkish Radio and Television (TRT) in the 70s, Erksan completely gave up filmmaking after 1983. He started to teach at Istanbul Mimar Sinan University and is still working there, mostly isolated from the current discussions on modern Turkish cinema.

Born in Istanbul, Reha Erdem began his studies in History at Bogazici University in Istanbul. He graduated from Cinema Department of Paris 8 University. He obtained his M.A. in Plastic Arts at the same university. He shot his first feature-length film Oh Moon in 1989 as a French-Turkish co-production. He shot Run for Money in 1999, Mommy, I'm Scared in 2004, Times and Winds in 2006, My Only Sunshine, Turkish-Greek-Bulgarian co-production, in 2008 and Kosmos in 2009. His latest two films are Jîn (2012) and Singing Women (2013), Turkish-French-German co-production. He wrote all of his films except for Mommy I'm scared, for which he was one of the co-writers. He also has short films and directed a theater play, Maids (Les Bonnes) by Jean Genet. He is now working on two new projects.

After making several award - winning shorts in Turkey, Yesim Ustaoglu made her feature film debut with 1994's 'The Trace' (Iz). The film was presented at numerous international festivals, including Moscow and Gotenburg and won the Best Film Award at Istanbul Film Festival. Yesim Ustaoglu received international recognition for her 1999 film, 'Journey To The Sun' (Günese Yolculuk) which competed in Berlinale and received the Blue Angel Award (Best European Film) and the Peace Prize before sweeping the Istanbul Film Festival by winning Best Film, Best Director, the FIPRESCI Prize and the Audience Award. Launching her own production company Ustaoglu Film in 2003, her third film, 'Waiting for the Clouds' (Bulutlari Beklerken) premiered in 2014 Berlinale Panorama and was awarded NHK Sundance - International Film-maker's Award. Ustaoglu's fourth feature, 'Pandora's Box' (Pandora'nin Kutusu) premiered in Toronto (TIFF) and won Golden Shell for the Best Film and Silver Shell for the Best Actress Award in San Sebastian FF. Her fifth feature 'Somewhere in Between' (Araf, 2012) premiered in Orrizonti section in 69th Venice FF, won Best Film Award in Abu Dhabi FF and Split Mediterranean FF, as well as Best Performance in Moscow, Tokyo and Pune Film Festivals. Her latest film 'Clair Obscur' (Tereddut).

Çagan Irmak is a Turkish film and television writer and director, who has managed to attract a large audience in Turkey and is best known for the TV series Çemberimde Gül Oya (2004-2005) and Asmali Konak (2002-2004), and for the hit films Alone (2008) and My Father and My Son (2005), for which he received Turkish Cinema Writers Association Awards for Best Film, Best Screenplay and Best Director.