Ali Ozgenturk

Background

He was born on 4 November 1947 in Adana, Turkey.

Career

After studying philosophy and sociology at Istanbul University, he became involved in theater, as an actor, director, and playwright. He founded Istanbul"s first street theater troupe in 1968. He began working in the Turkish film industry in 1974 as a camera assistant, and eventually became an assistant and screenwriter for famous Turkish film directors such as Atif Yilmaz and Yilmaz Guney.

In 1977, Özgentürk wrote the screenplay for director Atıf Yılmaz"s film Selvi Boylum, First Rate (at Lloyd's) Yazmalım (The Girl with the Red Scarf), which would go on to become a major hit in Turkey.

In 1979, Özgentürk directed his first feature, Hazal, which he co-wrote with Onat Kutlar. His third feature, 1985"s Bekςi (The Guardian), an adaptation of Turkish novelist Orhan Kemal"s classic novel Murtaza, holds the distinction of being the first Turkish film to screen in competition at the Venice Film Festival.

Özgentürk courted controversy with his fourth film, Su da Yanar (Water Also Burns, 1987), which concerned a director attempting to make a film about the life of controversial Turkish poet Nazım Hikmet. In 2000, Özgentürk directed Balalayka, which would go on to become a major box office hit in Turkey.

The film ran into trouble early in its production when its original lead actor, Kemal Sunal, died of a heart attack while boarding a plane to the film"s location in Trabzon.

He was replaced in the part by the Turkish actor Uğur Yücel.

Achievements

• 1980 Prades Film Festival First Prize for Hazal 1980 Manheim Film Festival Golden Ducat Award for Hazal 1980 Mannheim Film Festival Ecumenical Jury Award for Hazal 1980 Mannheim Film Festival Audience Award for Hazal 1980 San Sebastian Film Festival Best New Director Award for Hazal 1982 Valencia Film Festival Second Place Prize for At (The Horse) 1983 São Paulo Film Festival Second Place Prize for At (The Horse) 1983 Lecce Film Festival Grand Prize for At (The Horse) 1985 Tokyo Film Festival Yasujiro Ozu Award for At (The Horse) 1986 Strasbourg Human Rights Film Festival Second Place Prize for Bekci (The Guardian) 1993 Antalya Film Festival Special Jury Prize for Ciplak (The Nude).