Pelin Esmer

Istanbul, Turkey

Pelin Esmer, writer & director of both fiction and documentary films, studied sociology and afterwards moved on to cinema. She established her film company Sinefilm and since 2001 she has made her independent films The Collector, The Play, 10 to 11, Watchtower, Something Useful and Queen Lear together with her producer friends Nida Karabol, Tolga Esmer and Dilde Mahalli.

A feature documentary, The Play made its international premiere 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 Award” in Tribeca Film Festival. Her first fiction 10 to 11 was one of the six projects chosen by Cannes Film Festival’s Résidence du Cinéfondation in Paris where she worked on the script. An official selection of San Sebastian Film Festival, 10 to 11 received many awards in various festivals around the world and was released in cinemas in Turkey, France and Germany. Her second fiction Watchtower which premiered in Toronto and Rotterdam Film Festival has been screened in many countries and five different states of USA as part of the Caravanserai Program.

Something Useful received the best screenplay award in Tallinn International Film Festival besides several FIPRESCI awards in Turkey: best director, best screenplay and best actress.

In 2018, Pelin Esmer was invited to Berlin by DAAD Artists-in-Residence Program where she developed her last documetary film Queen Lear. Having premiered in Sarajevo Film Festival, Queen Lear received Yılmaz Güney Award and SİYAD Cüneyt Cebenoyan Award at Adana Golden Boll Film Festival in Turkey while being screened in oversea festivals.

Pelin Esmer was a guest artist in the residence of Camargo Foundation in Cassis-France between september-november 2019, working on her new project.