Ümit Ünal
Encyclopedia
Ümit Ünal is a film director
, screenwriter
and author
. Born in 1965 in Turkey
, he is the scriptwriter for eight Turkish feature films including Teyzem (My Aunt) (1986), Hayallerim, Askim ve Sen (My Dreams, My Love and You) (1987). He has published one book of stories and two novels. He has been working as a TV commercials director since 1996. His first feature film as a director is 9 which won many awards in various film festivals and was the Official Turkish Entry for the 2003 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
. In 2004, he directed Istanbul Tales
(Anlat İstanbul), with four other Turkish directors. In 2008, he wrote and directed Ara
. Movie was granted the Special Jury Prize at 27.Istanbul International Film Festival
and Best Script and Best Editing awards at 15. International Adana Golden Boll Film Festival. Ünal, made a screenplay adaptation of the famous Turkish novel, Gölgesizler (Shadowless) by Hasan Ali Toptaş
in 2008. In 2010, he directed Ses
(The Voice) of which script was written by Uygar Şirin. In 2011, Ünal wrote and directed his currently last film, Nar
(The Pomegranate).
He published three books.
He currently works as a freelance director/writer, living in Istanbul
and London
.
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
. Born in 1965 in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, he is the scriptwriter for eight Turkish feature films including Teyzem (My Aunt) (1986), Hayallerim, Askim ve Sen (My Dreams, My Love and You) (1987). He has published one book of stories and two novels. He has been working as a TV commercials director since 1996. His first feature film as a director is 9 which won many awards in various film festivals and was the Official Turkish Entry for the 2003 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
. In 2004, he directed Istanbul Tales
Istanbul Tales
Istanbul Tales is a 2005 Turkish drama-anthology film, directed by Selim Demirdelen, Kudret Sabancı, Ümit Ünal, Yücel Yolcu and Ömür Atay, which tells 5 interconnected stories set in modern day Istanbul based on the fairytales Snow White, Cinderella, Pied Piper, Sleeping Beauty and Little Red...
(Anlat İstanbul), with four other Turkish directors. In 2008, he wrote and directed Ara
Ara (film)
Ara is a Turkish 2007 feature-length drama film directed by Ümit Ünal, starring Erdem Akakçe, Betül Çobanoğlu, Serhat Tutumluer, and Selen Uçer, all originally stage actors....
. Movie was granted the Special Jury Prize at 27.Istanbul International Film Festival
Istanbul International Film Festival
The Istanbul International Film Festival is the first and oldest international film festival in Turkey, organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts , a non-profit organisation. It is held every year in April in movie theaters in Istanbul, Turkey...
and Best Script and Best Editing awards at 15. International Adana Golden Boll Film Festival. Ünal, made a screenplay adaptation of the famous Turkish novel, Gölgesizler (Shadowless) by Hasan Ali Toptaş
Hasan Ali Toptas
Hasan Ali Toptaş is a prominent Turkish novelist and short story writer. He was born in Denizli, Turkey. His first short story book Bir Gülüşün Kimliği was published in 1987...
in 2008. In 2010, he directed Ses
SES
-In business and economics:* Senior Executive Service* SES, callsign of the TV station SES/RTS * SES S.A., a group management company for various satellite companies, including:...
(The Voice) of which script was written by Uygar Şirin. In 2011, Ünal wrote and directed his currently last film, Nar
NAR
-Places:* Nar Jaffar Khan, a town and union council in Bannu District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan* Nar, Nepal, a village development committee in Manang District in the Gandaki Zone of northern Nepal...
(The Pomegranate).
He published three books.
He currently works as a freelance director/writer, living in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
As director
- 9 (2002 film) (2001)
- 2002 Istanbul International Film FestivalIstanbul International Film FestivalThe Istanbul International Film Festival is the first and oldest international film festival in Turkey, organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts , a non-profit organisation. It is held every year in April in movie theaters in Istanbul, Turkey...
- Best Turkish Film of the Year, Best Actress (Serra Yılmaz) - 2002 Ankara Film Festival - Best Screenplay, Best Actor - Fikret KuşkanFikret Kuşkan-Biography:Fikret Kuşkan grew up in İstinye with his parents and four sisters. When he was 13, his father died and he moved to Tokat. After three years, he returned to İstanbul and began studying at Hasköy Lisesi...
- 2002 14. Ankara Film Festival - Onat Kutlar Best Script, Promising Director
- 2002 Istanbul International Film Festival
- Istanbul TalesIstanbul TalesIstanbul Tales is a 2005 Turkish drama-anthology film, directed by Selim Demirdelen, Kudret Sabancı, Ümit Ünal, Yücel Yolcu and Ömür Atay, which tells 5 interconnected stories set in modern day Istanbul based on the fairytales Snow White, Cinderella, Pied Piper, Sleeping Beauty and Little Red...
(Anlat İstanbul) (2005)- 2005 Istanbul International Film FestivalIstanbul International Film FestivalThe Istanbul International Film Festival is the first and oldest international film festival in Turkey, organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts , a non-profit organisation. It is held every year in April in movie theaters in Istanbul, Turkey...
- Best Turkish Film of the Year, Best Actress (Yelda ReynaudYelda ReynaudYelda Reynaud is a Turkish-Austrian actress.-Filmography:-Television:-External links:...
) - 2005 Adana Golden Boll International Film FestivalAdana Golden Boll International Film FestivalAltın Koza International Film Festival is a film festival of Adana, that was held 17 times since 1969 and took place every year since 2005. The event is organized by the Greater Adana Municipality and takes place in June...
- Best Film, Best Editing, Best Director of Photography - 2005 MedFilm Festival-Rome - Artistic Expression (Original Idea) Award
- 2006 Bangkok International Film FestivalBangkok International Film FestivalThe Bangkok International Film Festival is an international film festival held annually in Bangkok, Thailand, since 2003. In addition to film screenings, seminars, gala events and the Golden Kinnaree Awards.-First years:...
- Jury's Special Mention of Excellence
- 2005 Istanbul International Film Festival
- AraAra (film)Ara is a Turkish 2007 feature-length drama film directed by Ümit Ünal, starring Erdem Akakçe, Betül Çobanoğlu, Serhat Tutumluer, and Selen Uçer, all originally stage actors....
(2007)- 2008 Istanbul International Film FestivalIstanbul International Film FestivalThe Istanbul International Film Festival is the first and oldest international film festival in Turkey, organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts , a non-profit organisation. It is held every year in April in movie theaters in Istanbul, Turkey...
- Special Prize of the Jury, Best Actor (Serhat Tutumluer)
- 2008 Istanbul International Film Festival
- Shadowless (Gölgesizler) (2009)
- Kaptan Feza (Captain Space) (2010)
- SES (The Voice) (2010)
- NAR (The Pomegranate) (2011)
- 2011 Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival - Special Jury Award
As writer
- Teyzem (My Aunt) (1986) (Director: Halit RefiğHalit RefigHalit Refiğ was a Turkish film director, film producer, screenwriter and writer. He made around sixty films, including feature films, documentaries and TV serials...
) (MilliyetMilliyetMilliyet is a major Turkish daily newspaper founded in 1950.-History:Milliyet came to publishing life at the Nuri Akça press in Babıali, Istanbul as a daily private newspaper on 3 May 1950...
Newspaper Screenplay Competition, First Prize) - Milyarder (The Billionaire) (1987) (Director: Kartal TibetKartal TibetKartal Tibet is a Turkish actor and film director. Some of his famous films include Ölmeyen Aşk, Dağlar Kızı, Senede Bir Gün, Sultan, Zübük, Gol Kralı, Gol Krale and Şalvar Davası. Tibet is also known for his action roles, especially that of the title character in the Karaoğlan and Tarkan film...
) - Hayallerim, Aşkım ve Sen (My Dreams, My Love and You) (1987) (Director: Atıf YılmazAtif YilmazAtıf Yılmaz Batıbeki was a renowned Turkish Kurdish film director, screenwriter and film producer. He was almost a legend in the film industry of Turkey with 119 movies directed. He also wrote 53 screenplays and produced 28 movies since 1951. He was active in almost every period of the Turkish...
) - Arkadaşım Şeytan (The Devil My Friend) (1988) (Director: Atıf YılmazAtif YilmazAtıf Yılmaz Batıbeki was a renowned Turkish Kurdish film director, screenwriter and film producer. He was almost a legend in the film industry of Turkey with 119 movies directed. He also wrote 53 screenplays and produced 28 movies since 1951. He was active in almost every period of the Turkish...
) - Piano Piano Bacaksız (Piano Piano Shorty) (1989) (Director: Tunç BaşaranTunç BasaranTunç Başaran is a Turkish screenwriter, film director, film producer and actor.- Biography :After attending the Faculty of Literature for a while he left school and started working as a script writer for the director Memduh Ün. He then continued to be the assistant of Memduh Ün for a long time...
) - Berlin in Berlin (1992) (Director: Sinan ÇetinSinan ÇetinSinan Çetin is a Turkish actor, film director, and producer.Çetin was born as the son of a customs officer and studied art history at Hacettepe University. Çetin has produced full-length films and television series, and foremost, commercials...
) - Amerikalı (The American) (1993) (Director: Şerif GörenSerif GörenŞerif Gören is a Turkish film director. Aside from important films under his own signature, he is also the winner of the Palme d'Or award in Cannes Film Festival in 1982 for the film Yol, which he had directed on behalf of Yılmaz Güney, who at the time was serving a prison sentence for the murder...
) - Yaz Yagmuru (Summer Rain) (1993) (Director: Tomris Giritlioğlu)
Published books
- Amerikan Güzeli (American Beauty) (1993) (Stories, Oglak Publishing)
- Aşkın Alfabesi (The Alphabet of Love) (1996) (Novel, İyi Seyler Publishing)
- Kuyruk (The Tail) (2001) (Novel, Oglak Publishing)