Biography

Istanbul based director Pelin Esmer, after her studies in sociology, founded her film company Sinefilm in 2001 and started to make her independent films since then. She has made The Collector, The Play, 10 to 11, Watchtower, Something Useful and Queen Lear, most of them produced as international co-productions.

A feature documentary The Play made its international premier in San Sebastian Film Festival. It has been screened over 50 festivals around the world and received many awards including “The Best New Documentary Filmmaker” in Tribeca Film Festival. Her first fiction 10 to 11 was one of the six chosen projects by Cannes Film Festival’s Résidence du Cinéfondation in Paris.

An official selection of San Sebastian Film Festival, 10 to 11 later traveled many festivals around the world including İstanbul, Toronto, Tallinn, Tromso and was honored to receive the Best New Director Award from the jury president Abbas Kiarostami in Abu Dhabi. Her second fiction Watchtower which premiered in Toronto and Rotterdam Film Festival, traveled to many festivals including Göteborg, Taipei, Fribourg; received Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography Award in Adana Golden Bowl Film Festival in Turkey. Later on, Esmer travelled with the film to five different states of USA as part of the Caravanserai Artist Residency Program.

Her next film Something Useful received the Best Screenplay Award in Tallinn International Film Festival besides FIPRESCI, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actress Awards in Turkey.

In 2018, Pelin Esmer was invited to Berlin by DAAD Artists-in-Residence Program where she worked on her documentary film Queen Lear which later premiered in Sarajevo Film Festival, travelled to many festivals like Göteborg, DOK.Fest München, Guangzhou, PriMed, received many awards including the Yılmaz Güney Special Jury Prize in Adana Golden Bowl.

Her latest film And The Rest Will Follow is most recently completed.