Ekin Calisir

PRODUCER / DIRECTOR

Ekin Calisir is a producer and documentary filmmaker from Istanbul, now based in Bolzano, Italy. Her work melds a background in journalism with artistically-driven storytelling. Through her company, she’s been the lead producer of award-winning, internationally co-produced films and is committed to amplifying underrepresented narratives. Her flagship production is the multi-award-winning feature documentary MR GAY SYRIA (2017), a successful three-way co-production with partners in Germany and France. This project established her as an alumna of the Sundance and Tribeca Film Institutes. She has a strong track record of producing and directing content for major international networks including The Guardian, ARTE, National Geographic and Al Jazeera. Ekin Calisir has taken various industry roles such as jury membership in Antalya Film Forum and expert evaluator for EU Creative Europe MEDIA programme.

Photo © Ekin Calisir

FILMOGRAPHY - A SELECTION

  • Selected Completed Projects

    • 2023 / JIN JIYAN EDELET (Woman, Life, Justice) / Short Documentary / Purple Pigeon Productions / Director & Producer |
    • 2022 / THE ROSE GARDEN / Short Fiction / dir: Bernadett Garzuly / Zürcher Hochschule der Künste (ZHdK) / Production Design & Story Consultancy
    • 2019 / THE LAST DIVIDED CAPITAL OF EUROPE / Short Documentary / The Guardian Documentaries / Co-Director & Co-Producer
    • 2017 / MR GAY SYRIA / Feature Creative Documentary | Dir: Ayşe Toprak | Co-produced by Toprak Film (Turkey), Coin Film (Germany) & LFDA (France) / Producer
      Premiered at Sheffield Doc/Fest, with notable screenings at IDFA and MoMA, New York. Winner of 15+ awards including the Human Rights Award (Sarajevo IFF) and the Silver Hugo (Chicago IFF).
    • 2015 BLONDE CAB (Sarisin Taksi) / Short Documentary / TRT Documentary / Director & Writer |  Winner of the 3rd Prize at the ILO Gender Equality Short Film Competition.

    Production Services & Local Producing

    • 2022 / BLUE ID | Feature Creative Documentary | Moxie Istanbul Productions | Archive Producer
    • 2022 / MY NAME IS HAPPY | Feature Documentary | Dir: Ayşe Toprak & Nick Read | Co-produced by ARTE, Channel 4, and October Films. Archive Producer
    • 2021 / RE: GEISTERSTADT VAROSHA (2021) | Short Documentary | Dir: Kristina Karasu | ARTE and ZDF | Cinematographer
    • 2018 / 24H EUROPE | Documentary Series for ARTE | Director (Istanbul segment) & Local Producer
    • 2018 / CONRAD ISTANBUL | Branded Content for Condé Nast | Local Producer
    • 2016 – 2017 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER | Produced Istanbul-based episodes including Vain Men and Propaganda Wars | Local & Associate Producer

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