Digital Platforms and Cinema Relationship: Deniz Şaşmaz Oflaz, Serkan Çakarer, Gönenç Uyanık
The importance of digital platforms, which is one of the developing and changing display channels of our century, is gradually increasing. In this context, BluTV CEO Deniz Şaşmaz Oflaz, experienced producer Serkan Çakarer and young director Gönenç Uyanık, who stand out with the works he created for digital platforms, share their experiences and ideas with the festival followers.
Deniz Şaşmaz Oflaz studied performing arts and cinema at Paris / Nanterre University after studying at Istanbul Pierre Loti French High School. While continuing her education, she has simultaneously participated in international film festivals such as Cannes, Berlin and Toronto since 2005 and gained experience in film distribution and production. After graduating from university, she worked for 6 months in the external resources department of the Canal+ company, then returned to Turkey and stepped into her professional life at the independent film distribution company Rfilm. At the end of three years, she worked as a Sales and Project Manager in another independent film company called Medyavizyon. Deniz Şaşmaz Oflaz, who started her duty as the general manager of Moviebox in 2011, has been involved in the distribution of films from A to Z, from cinema distribution of 20th Century Fox films and independent films licensed in the company, to television sales, from advertising to PR work. In addition, she supported the development of feature film projects of its sister production company Focus Film and its efforts to find co-producers abroad. Deniz Şaşmaz Oflaz, who started her career at BluTV in 2016 as "Content Strategy and Acquisitions Manager", continued her work as "Head of Content Acquisitions & Productions" in 2018. Oflaz continued her duties at BluTV with the titles of "Chief Commercial Officer" in 2020 and "Chief Commercial & Content Officer" in 2021. She took over as BluTV CEO in January 2023.
Serkan Çakarer graduated from Marmara University, Department of Business Administration. He worked in the financial sector between 1998 and 2000. He started to work at IFR in 2000 as the director of sales and distribution of motion pictures. During 2000 – 2004, he took part in the company's feature film production activities at various levels and carried out the national and international sales, marketing and distribution activities of the films. He left IFR in 2007 and founded 90 Film. He still continues his career as a producer at 90 Films. He has been on the Board of Film Producers' Association of Turkey (SEYAP) since 2013, and has been serving as the Vice President since 2019.
Born in Ankara in 1982, Gönenç Uyanık took part in various TV series and commercials as an assistant director after graduating from Bilkent University Graphic Design Department. In 2009, Uyanık started working with Dirty Cheap Creative and focused on various internet commercials, online game videos and guerrilla documentary films in this process. He increased his experience around various disciplines in the process of directing/making films. Uyanık, who directed the clips of different groups and artists such as Duman, Gece, Athena, Sebnem Ferah, as well as the commercials of various national and international brands, was selected as "100 Unusual Creatives of Adland" within the scope of the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. He co-directed the film "Moral Bozukluğu ve 31", which was screened at the If! Film Festival and later went viral. Uyanık, who has been focusing on commercial film work with DEPOfilm for a while, was selected as the "Best Advertising Film Director" in the Crystal Apple Advertising Competition in 2012. He directed the youth film “Hesapta Aşk", which was released in February 2016, which he produced for DEPOfilm. With the entry of Netflix into Turkey in 2017, he had the opportunity to manage the first three Netflix projects in our country. In 2018, he directed 5 episodes of the TV series “The Protector" starring Çağatay Ulusoy and Okan Yalabık. Later in 2019, he directed the TV series “The Gift" starring Beren Saat and Mehmet Günsür. After directing 5 episodes in this project, he had the opportunity to manage the "Love 101" project in 2020, with the project achieving a great success in 146 countries. Most recently he directed the Netflix Originals content "Last call for Istanbul", which was shot in New York.
* All workshops and talks organized as part of the 19th Akbank Short Film Festival are free of charge. Participation is limited to side events of the festival.
* You can get your event participation card from Akbank Sanat's information desk one hour before the event.