Women with Purple Violets (In production)

4K/Colour/Turkish/Feature documentary

In the 1970s, an all-female football fan club named ‘Purple Violets’ played an important role in the liberation of women in a conservative society in Turkey. Four elderly members of the club reunite 52 years later for a last match before their beloved team and stadium are torn apart in an increasingly more conservative country.

Producers: Sezen Kayhan, Natalia Imaz (Parabellum Film), Beste Yamalıoğlu (Karma Films), Fabian

Kling (tonfilmwerkstatt)

Camera: Arda Yıldıran, Cem Geneşke, Okan Candemir, Sezen Kayhan

Director: Sezen Kayhan

Editor: Rita Bakacs, Buğra Dedeoğlu

Animation Artist: İmge Özbilge

Production Funds and Co-Production Market Selections

Dok Leipzig Co-Pro Market

FIFA Research Scholarship

Film Independent Global Media Makers

Istanbul Film Festival Meetings on the Bridge DAE Award

Medienförderung Rheinland-Pfalz 

EU Sivil Düşün Fund

Antalya Film Forum Documentary Pitching Award

Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism Production Grant

ANIDOX:LAB (in partnership with the Danish Film Institute, The Swedish Film Institute and Creative Europe MEDIA)

Heinrich Böll Stiftung Freundinnen+Freunde

Meetings on the Bridge Documentary Association of Europe (DAE) Award

A Hard Day in the Empire (2018)
2K/Colour/Turkish/20 mins.

A prop assistant desperately tries to make the director happy on a challenging day at the set of an Ottoman soap opera.

Writer and Director: Sezen Kayhan
Producer: Beste Yamalıoğlu, Sezen Kayhan
Cast: Ayris Alptekin, Murat Kılıç, Aykut Sezgi Mengi, Reyhan Özdilek, Cem Baza, Deniz Göktas
Director of Photography: Deniz Eyüboğlu
Editor: Doruk Kaya
Art Director: Ali Şahin
Costume Designer: Nihal Duran
Sound Design: Yalın Özgencil
Music: Ekin Üzeltüzenci aka Ekin Fil
Sound Recordist: Ömür Müldür
Boom Operator: Metin Kılıç
Line Producer: Önder Önsal
Assistant Director: Nazlı Bora
Script Supervisor: Yüsra Çıldır
Camera Crew: Gül Bursa, Seyhan Davarcı,Emircan Göksu, Mustafa Gökpınar
Gaffer: Özer Çalık
Best Boy: Enes Eroyter, Yasin Apaydın
Grip: Çağatay Başİlham Akkuş
Props: Cansu Tobcu, Şerif Çiçek
Makeup Artist and Hairstylist: Zerrin Bakar
Production Assistant: Eray Temiz
DIT: Hüseyin Sevim
Dialogue Edit: Berdan Deveci
Color Correction: Cenk Erol
Digital Artists: Ali Özgür Güner, İsmet Kale

Festival Screenings

• WINNER: 10. Lions International Short Film Festival-Best Actress Award (Ayris Alptekin)
• WINNER: 10.Lions International Short Film Festival-Best Art Direction Award (Ali Şahin)
• WINNER: 5. Uşak Film Festival Best Actress Award (Ayris Alptekin)
• WINNER: 39. Ifsak National Short Film Festival-Third Prize
• WINNER: London Worldwide Comedy Short Film Festival-Honorable Mention
• WINNER: Bornova Municipality Short Film Competition-Third Prize
• WINNER: Cukurova University Adana ShortFest-Third Prize
• Official Selection: 40th CINEMED International Mediterranean Film Festival of Montpellier (France)
• Official Selection: 12. Portland Oregon Women’s Film Festival (USA)
• Official Selection: 19. Izmir International Short Film Festival (Turkey)
• Official Selection: 14. Pentedatillo International Film Festival (Italy)
• Official Selection: 15. IAWRT Asian Women’s Film Festival (India)
• Official Selection: Portland Comedy Film Festival (USA)
• Official Selection:  1. Kobane International Film Festival (Syria)
• Official Selection: 29. Istanbul International Short Film Festival (Turkey)
• Official Selection: 17th International Filmmor Women’s Film Festival on Wheels (Turkey)
• Official Selection: Porto Femme International Film Festival (Portugal)
• Official Selection: FICMARC – Caribbean Sea International Film Festival (Venezuela)
• Official Selection: China International Short Film Festival (China)
• Official Selection: 6. Bosphorus International Film Festival (Turkey)
• Official Selection: IFEMA – International Female Film Festival Malmö (Sweden)
• Official Selection: International Changing Perspectives Short Film Festival (Turkey)
• Official Selection: World Film Fair Los Angeles (USA)
• Official Selection: 11. Palto Film Days (Turkey)
• Official Selection: WOW International Film Festival (Tunisia)
• Official Selection: 10. Lions Short Film Festival (Turkey)
• Official Selection: 11th International Inter University Short Film Festival (Bangladesh)
• Official Selection: 39. İFSAK Short Film Competition Finalist (Turkey)
• Official Selection: Georgia Shorts Film Festival (USA)
• Official Selection: 18. Kısaca International Student Film Festival (Turkey)
• Official Selection: Worldwide Women’s Film Festival (USA)
• Official Selection: 2. Trojan Horse Short Film Festival (Turkey)
• Official Selection: Moscow Shorts (Russia)
• Official Selection: 3. Maiden’s Castle Film Festival (Turkey)
• Official Selection: Universal Film Festival (USA)
• Official Selection: 6. Antakya International Film Festival (Turkey)
• Official Selection: 7. Women of Wonders Film Festival (USA)
• Official Selection: 2. Afsad Short Film Competition (Turkey)
• Official Selection: Inshort Film Festival (Nigeria)
• Official Selection: 2. Women Directors’ Film Week (Turkey)
• Official Selection 14. International Labor Film and Video Festival (Turkey)
• Official Selection: Buenos Aires International Film Festival (Argentina)
• Official Selection: Hisar Short Film Selection 2019
• Official Selection: 14. International Labor Film Festival (Turkey)
• Official Selection: WOW Film Festival (Tunisia)
• Official Selection: Çukurova University Adana ShortsFest (Turkey)
• Official Selection: 8. International Zeugma Film Festival (Turkey)
• Official Selection: 2. Short Film Directors’ Association Selection
• Offıcial Selection: Directed by Women Film Festival (Turkey)
• Official Selection: Sinemazon Women Directors Film Festival (Turkey)
• Official Selection: Accessible Film Festival
• Screening: Meetings on the Bridge Short Film Screenings at SALT Galata
• Screening: Soho House Short Film Program Screening
• Screening: Orient Express Filmtage Bern (Switzerland)

Elene (2016)
2K/Colour/Georgian, Turkish/12 mins.

16-year-old Elene is a Georgian illegal immigrant who works at a tea plantation in Turkey. Feeling threatened by various encounters, she tries to be invisible in this foreign land. But it is not as easy as she thinks.

Writer and Director: Sezen Kayhan
Producer: Leyla Bekar, Sezen Kayhan
Cast: Mariam Buturishvili, Canan Kızılay, Maya Pachuashvili, Alperen Kandemir, Magda Karsidze
Editor: Ayhan Ergürsel
Director of Photography: Yakup Algül
Art Director: Serkan Döğücü
Costume Designer: Racia Döğücü
Sound Recording: Ömür Müldür
Sound Design: Teoman Toktaş
Visual FX : Ma Zhenning
Camera Crew: Orçun Aydoğan,
Gökhan Küçük, Anar Efendiyev
Colorist: Esat Özceylan
Production Assistant: Ortaç Genç
Poster Design: Aykut Aydoğdu
Script Consultant: Cemil Kavukçu
Project Consultant: Zeynep Atakan
Cast consultant: George Ovashvili

World Sales: KT Film and Media

Festival Screenings

• WINNER: 41. Montreal World Film Festival-Best Film of International Short Film Competition
• WINNER: Lisbon International Film Festival-Lisbon Bull Award and Best Narrative Short Award
• WINNER: 12. Boston Turkish Festival Documentary and Short Film Competition-Special Mention
• WINNER: 1. Ordu Short Film Competition-Best Film and Best Director Awards
• WINNER: 15. International Environment Film Festival-Second Prize
• WINNER: Rize Tea, Environment and Youth Film Festival-Jury Special Prize
• Official Selection: 61. BFI London Film Festival (UK)
• Official Selection: 28th Sao Paulo International Short Film Festival (Brazil)
• Official Selection: 14° Annual Salento International Film Festival (Italy)
• Official Selection: Mykonos Biennale (Greece)
• Official Selection: 15. Tirana International Film Festival (Albania)
• Official Selection: XII. Batumi International Art House Film Festival (Georgia)
• Official Selection: 38. Manaki International Cinematographers Film Festival (Macedonia)
• Official Selection: 11. Pentedatillo International Short Film Festival (Italy)
• Official Selection: 16. Dhaka International Film Festival (Bangladesh)
• Official Selection: 8. Fort Myers Film Festival (US)
• Official Selection: Boston Short Film Festival (US)
• Official Selection: Moondance Film Festival (US)
• Official Selection: KINOdiseea International Children Film Festival (Romania)
• Official Selection: Brussels Independent Film Festival (Belgium)
• Official Selection: 2. Mediterranean Film Festival Cannes (France)
• Official Selection: 21st Green Mountain Film Festival (US)
• Official Selection: 3. Cefalù Film Festival (Italy)
• Official Selection: Lisbon International Film Festival (Portugal)
• Official Selection: 8th Balkans Beyond Borders Film Festival (Belgium)
• Official Selection: Sydney World Film Festival (Australia)
• Official Selection: 16. !f Istanbul Independent Film Festival (Turkey)
• Official Selection: 53. International Antalya Film Festival (Turkey)
• Official Selection: 12. Boston Turkish Festival Documentary and Short Film Competition (US)
• Official Selection: Toronto ArtHouse Film Festival (Canada)
• Official Selection: 17. Frankfurt Turkish Film Festival (Germany)
• Official Selection: 10. Montreal Turkish Film Festival (Canada)
• Official Selection: 17. İzmir International Short Film Festival (Turkey)
• Official Selection: 4. International Boğaziçi Film Festival (Turkey)
• Official Selection: 3. Marmaris International Short Film Festival (Turkey)
• Official Selection: 1. Ankara University Short Film Competition (Turkey)
• Official Selection: 20. Flying Broom International Women’s Film Festival (Turkey)
• Official Selection: 6. Silk Road International Film Festival (Ireland)
• Official Selection: Beeston Film Festival (UK)
• Official Selection: 6. International Children’s Rights Film Festival (Turkey)
• Official Selection: Radio City International Film Festival (Spain)
• Official Selection: 1. Bingöl International Short Film Festival (Turkey)
• Official Selection: 10. Yıldız Short Film Festival (Turkey)
• Official Selection: 28. Munich Turkish Film Days (Germany)
• Official Selection: 1. Trabzon International Film Festival (Turkey)
• Official Selection: Du Bist Kino Fest Berlin (Germany)
• Official Selection: 1. Afyonkarahisar Film Festival (Turkey)
• Official Selection: Tea, Environment and Youth Film Festival (Turkey)
• 14.!f Yapımlab Pitching Platform Finalist
• TR Ministry of Culture and Tourism Short Film Production Grant
• Screening: Cannes Film Festival/Short Film Corner (France)
• Screening: BBB Screening at Brunnenpassage, Vienna (Austria)
• Screening: Meetings on the Bridge Short Film Screenings at Soho House, Istanbul

Time of the Plums (2012)
16mm/Colour/Turkish/9 mins.

10 year-old Yasemin lives in her own world of fantasy with the notes she feels and the sounds she sees, as she spends a day with her mother and grandfather in the countryside.

Writer and Director: Sezen Kayhan

Producer: Leyla Bekar, Sezen Kayhan
Cast: Yasemin Erten, Ece Uslu, Orhan Karadagli
Co-producers: Nilgün Tezcür, Barbaros Erkmen
Script Consultant: Cemil Kavukçu
Editor: Ayhan Ergürsel
Director of Photography: Erkan Umut
Production Designer: Sezen Kayhan
Art Director: Erhan Akgün
Costume Designer: Ayça Kubat
Music: Attila Özdemiroglu, Patryjusz Baumann
Sound Design: Ömür Müldür
Dolby Operator: Nurkut Ozdemir
Visual FX : Oguz Alta
Focus Puller: Batuhan Arite
Clapper-Loader: Emre Pekçakir
Telecine: Serdar Erçir
Colorist: Haluk Korkut Turaç
Set Photographer: Candan Süsoy
Production Assistant: Mehmet Ali Sündüs
Art work: Daniela Isache
Poster Design: Fazil Burak Evlice

World Sales: Shorts International

Festival Screenings

• WINNER: Nevada Film Festival-Special Jury Award
• WINNER: ECU-The European Independent Film Festival-E-Inclusion Award
• WINNER: The Accolade Film, TV, New Media and Videography Awards-Award of Merit
• WINNER: Turkish Ministry of Culture ‘Cinema of Future’ Script Competition Winner
• WINNER: Lions International Short Film Competition-Best Cinematography Award
• WINNER: Manisa Golden Sultana Film Festival Jury Special Prize
• WINNER: Lucerne International Film Festival-Award of Merit-Switzerland
• WINNER: International Disability Film Festival-Best Script Award
• Official Selection: Tribeca Film Festival (US)
• Official Selection: Palm Springs International ShortsFest (US)
• Official Selection: Santa Barbara International Film Festival (US)
• Official Selection: Montreal World Film Festival (Canada)
• Official Selection: ÉCU – The European Independent Film Festival (France)
• Official Selection: Rhode Island International Film Festival (US)
• Official Selection: Sofia International Film Festival-Best Balkan Shorts (Bulgaria)
• Official Selection: Ljubljana International Short Film Festival (Slovenia)
• Official Selection: Salento International Film Festival (Italy)
• Official Selection: Istanbul International Short Film Festival (Turkey)
• Official Selection: Datca International Film Festival-Opening Film (Turkey)
• Official Selection: XIII Festiwal Kina Amatorskiego i Niezalenego KAN (Poland)
• Official Selection: Hong Kong Independent Film&Video Awards-Jury Recommendation
• Official Selection: Naperville Independent Film Festival (US)
• Official Selection: Long Island Film Expo (US)
• Official Selection: Tenerife Internationnal Film Festival (Spain)
• Official Selection: New York City International Film Festival (US)
• Official Selection: New Hope Film Festival (US)
• Official Selection: WorldKids International Film Festival (India)
• Official Selection: Tiburon International Film Festival (US)
• Official Selection: Sofia Middle East and North Africa Film Festival (Bulgaria)
• Official Selection: Efebo Corto Film Festival (Italy)
• Official Selection: Nevada Film Festival-Las Vegas (US)
• Official Selection: Pasaggi D’Autore Film Festival (Italy)
• Official Selection: Detmold Film Festival (Germany)
• Official Selection: Amed Film Festival (Turkey)
• Official Selection: Seen&Heard Film Festival (Australia)
• Official Selection: Kisaca International Film Festival (Turkey)
• Official Selection: Izmir International Film Festival (Turkey)
• Official Selection: 5. International Children’s Rights Film Festival (Turkey)
• Official Selection: 5.Kristal Klaket Short Film Competition (Turkey)
• Official Selection: IFSAK Short Film Competition-Finalist (Turkey)
• Official Selection: Rotary Short Film Festival-Finalist (Turkey)
• Official Selection: Berlin Turkish Film Week (Germany)
• Official Selection: Okan University Short Film Competition-Finalist (Turkey)
• Official Selection: Rome Turkish Film Festival (Italy)
• Official Selection: 17thYouth Film Festival and 5th Four River Festival (Croatia)
• Selection: DVD Collection of ‘Best Turkish Shorts 2011-2012’ prepared for Berlin Int’l Film Festival
• Selection: Gaziantep Onat Kutlar Film Festival (Turkey)
• Screening: Adana Golden Boll Film Festival (Turkey)
• Screening: Cannes Film Festival/Short Film Corner (France)
• Screening: Film Bazaar Graz (Austria)

ID-RI-MI (2008)
HD/Animation/Colour/English/14 mins.

Short biography of the Alalakh king ID-RI-MI

Writer and Director: Sezen Kayhan
Producer: Fims Alliance, Enlightenment Art Group, DK Alliance
Animation: Ayhan Sahin
Visual FX: Oguz Alta
Editor: Ugur Karagul
Animation Crew: Gurhan Gurkan, Ugur Karagul, Gultekin Karaoglan
Idrimi’s Voice: Michael Conduit
Cast: Burak Savtur, Daniel Wilken Damm, Magnus Wilken Damm, Marika
Thomas Fredrik Bergmann
Project Consultants: Aslıhan Yener, Murat Akar
Poster Design: Selim Süsoy

Festival Screenings

• Official Selection: TAC International Film and Video Festival (US)
• Official Selection: AGON- International Meeting of Archaeological Film of the Mediterranean Area (Greece)
• Official Selection: UCLA Archaeology Film Festival (US)
• Selection: Anatolian Civilizations Museum (Regular Screening)-(Turkey)
• Selection: Hatay Archaeology Museum Installation (Regular Screening)-(Turkey)
• Selection: The Archaeology Channel