Yesim Ustaoglu, a renowned Turkish filmmaker, made her feature film debut with the critically acclaimed "The Trace" (Iz) in 1994. The film premiered at numerous international festivals, including the Moscow International Film Festival and the Göteborg Film Festival, where it won the Best Film Award at the Istanbul Film Festival.
Ustaoglu's subsequent film, "Journey to the Sun" (Günese Yolculuk),released in 1999, garnered international recognition, competing in the prestigious Berlinale and winning the Blue Angel Award for Best European Film, the Peace Prize, and the FIPRESCI Prize. The film also swept the Istanbul Film Festival, claiming the Best Film, Best Director, FIPRESCI Prize, and Audience Award.
In 2003, Ustaoglu founded her own production company, Ustaoglu Film, and went on to direct "Waiting for the Clouds" (Bulutlari Beklerken),which premiered in the Berlinale Panorama section in 2014 and received the NHK Sundance - International Film-maker's Award.
Her fourth feature, "Pandora's Box" (Pandora'nin Kutusu),premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and won the Golden Shell for Best Film and the Silver Shell for Best Actress Award at the San Sebastián International Film Festival.
Ustaoglu's fifth feature, "Somewhere in Between" (Araf),released in 2012, premiered in the Orrizonti section of the 69th Venice Film Festival, winning the Best Film Award at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival and the Split Mediterranean Film Festival, as well as the Best Performance Award at the Moscow, Tokyo, and Pune Film Festivals.
Ustaoglu's latest film, "Clair Obscur" (Tereddut),has yet to be released.
