Fatih Akin

Fatih Akin was born in 1973 in Hamburg of Turkish parentage. He began studying Visual Communications at Hamburg College of Fine Arts in 1994. In 1995, he wrote and directed his first short feature, Sensin! (You're The One!), which received the Audience Award at the International Short Film Festival Hamburg. His second short film, Weed (Getürkt), received several national and international awards. His first full-length feature film, Kisa ve Acisiz (Short Sharp Shock) won the Bronze Leopard at the Locarno International Film Festival, and the Bavarian Film Award for Best Young Director in 1998. Short Sharp Shock was followed by the road movie Temmuzda (In July), and the emigration drama Solino. His latest feature, Duvara Karsi (Head-on), won top honors at the Berlin International Film Festival, marking the first time in eighteen years that a German entry has taken home the Golden Bear for Best Film. Last year, his latest documentary, Istanbul Hatirasi (Crossing the Bridge-The Sound of Istanbul) was presented at the Cannes Film Festival out of competition.

Filmography

1995 Sensin! (kisa) / Du bists es! / You’re The One! (short)
1997 Getürkt / Weed (short)
1998 Kisa ve Acisiz / Kurz und Schmerzlos / Short Sharp Shock
2000 Denk ich an Deutschland - Wir haben vergessen zurückzukehren / I Think About Germany - We Forgot to Go Back (documentary)
2000 Temmuzda / Im Juli / In July
2002 Solino
2004 Visions of Europe (segment)
2004 Duvara Karsi / Gegen die Wand / Head-On
2005 Crossing the Bridge-The Sound of Istanbul (documentary) / Istanbul Hatirasi (belgesel)