Conversation

Short to Feature: Umut Aral

Conversation
Short to Feature: Umut Aral

Short to Feature: Umut Aral

This year's guest of the "Short to Feature" section, a section where we feature a director whose cinema journey started with short films and continued with feature films, is director Umut Aral, who has made successful productions in Turkey, on platforms such as Netflix, and internationally. His award-winning short films and the first feature film Good Game will meet with the audience as part of the section. The director shares his experiences and journey in the industry with the festival audience in a conversation.

Umut Aral was born in Istanbul, and is currently based in London. Globally experienced and multi-lingual, Aral managed multi national teams, established partnerships and worked across Europe and Asia.  Throughout his career, Aral has demonstrated an affinity for breaking new ground across multiple screens. His wide body of work includes varied films, documentaries, TV commercials, music videos, TV series, viral videos, flash mobs, interactive videos, 360 and hologram videos. 

In the most recent years, between 2018 - 2022; Aral worked as the most acclaimed director of 4 Netflix Originals series shown in 190 countries, including: “The Protector,” “Love 101,” “Yakamoz S-245” and “Who Were We Running From?” In 2018, directed the first e-Sports feature film ‘Good Game: The Beginning’. The movie won 12 international awards and screened in prestigious international film festivals: Sarajevo Film Festival, Worldfest Houston International Film Festival and Beirut International Youth Film Festival. In 2017, Directed an episode of 7Yüz for BluTV; first Anthology and digital TV series in Turkey. In 2005 and 1999, directed, produced and wrote two short films ‘CRASH’ and ‘Thirtyfour’. Internationally acclaimed "Crash", won 13 prestigious national and international awards and screened in esteemed film festivals like Locarno International Film Festival, Raindance Film Festival, Asiana Short Film Festival, and International Short Film Festival in Drama. ‘Thirtyfour’ won 5 awards in national film festivals and screened in numerous international film festivals receiving his first global recognition. Since 2001, Umut Aral has been leading a prolific career directing over 300 national and international TV commercials. Aral, has been distinguished with his cinematic flair on branded content and working in solid partnership with high-profile celebrities. Aral established himself as one of the top talented leading directors in the commercial world, winning numerous awards and being screened throughout the world with his work.

Through out his career, he has also been a speaker and educator, invited as a guest speaker to global organizations like YPO and universities to run workshops on filmmaking. Umut Aral is also The Chairman of Board of Members of Mithat Alam Education Foundation and Mithat Alam Film Center - the ‘cinematheque’ , a prestigious cultural center in Istanbul.

* 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.

Other Dates

Akbank Sanat

11 May 2023|18:30

Akbank Sanat

11 May 2023|18:30

11 May 2023 Thursday 18:30

Akbank Sanat

Show on Map
Follow Us
TR EN
Filter events by label
18 SEP MON
-
19 SEP TUE
-
20 SEP WED
-
21 SEP THU
1

18:30

Conversation Akbank 41st Contemporary Artists Prize Exhibition Exhibition Talks: "Spinoza'ya Saygı"

Akbank Sanat

22 SEP FRI
-
23 SEP SAT
1

20:30

Concert Mercan Dede Live DJ Set with Secret Tribe

Müze Gazhane

24 SEP SUN
3

11:00

Concert Yarkın Duo (Nağme Yarkın & Baturay Yarkın)

Sakıp Sabancı Müzesi

14:00

Conversation fugamundi x Mert Pekduraner Jazz Listening Club

Bant Mag. Havuz / Bina

19:00

Workshop Jazz-hop Junction: Beatmaking Workshop with Da Poet

Kolektif House Moda

25 SEP MON
1

21:00

Concert Al Di Meola

AKM Theatre Hall

26 SEP TUE
2

19:00

Concert Kâmil Özler Trio & Yasemin Özler

Akbank Sanat

20:00

Concert Sub-Rehavi

Yeldeğirmeni Arts Center

27 SEP WED
4

19:00

Concert Yumi Ito

Akbank Sanat

20:00

Concert Neşet Ruacan, Cem Tuncer, Yarkın Tuncer

Yeldeğirmeni Arts Center

20:30

Concert Mert Pekduraner

Çevre Tiyatrosu / Semaver Kumpanya

22:00

Concert KAM x Yasemin Mori

Bova

28 SEP THU
2

18:30

Concert Onur Çalışkan

CoBAC Workspace Terrace Garden

21:00

Concert All Night Jazz: BOSQ, Zeynep Erbay, Recep Şencan

Frankhan

29 SEP FRI
2

20:30

Concert Terence Blanchard featuring the E-Collective with Turtle Island Quartet

Zorlu PSM, Turkcell Platinum Stage

22:00

Concert Ayyuka

Babylon

30 SEP SAT
6

11:00

Workshop Wild Child Orchestra

Akbank Sanat

16:00

Conversation Turkey Jazz Network: Understanding the Venue through Music

Yeldeğirmeni Arts Center

19:00

Concert Hend

North Studio

20:00

Conversation Continents of Jazz

Outro Record Store

22:00

Concert Gabi Hartmann

Babylon

22:00

Concert LoftCaz Record Selection

Outro Record Store

01 OCT SUN
2

18:30

Concert İdil Naz Dönmez & Rüzgar Yıldırım

Alan Kadıköy Amphitheater

20:30

Concert Ozan Musluoğlu Quartet ft. Kerem Görsev

Alan Kadıköy

02 OCT MON
1

20:30

Concert Lakecia Benjamin “Phoenix”

Ses Tiyatrosu

03 OCT TUE
3

19:00

Concert Wayne Shorter Tribute Night

Akbank Sanat

20:00

Concert Şevket Akıncı, Mehmet Korkmaz, İlhami Tunç Gençer

Arter

20:30

Concert Sissoko / Segal / Parisien / Peirani “Les Egarés”

Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall

04 OCT WED
3

19:00

Concert Zoe Rahman Trio "Colour of Sound"

Akbank Sanat

21:30

Concert Immanuel Wilkins Trio

Babylon

21:30

Concert Tribute to Ella & Louis

Nardis Jazz Club

05 OCT THU
2

19:00

Concert Bulut Gülen “Bosphorus Train”

Akbank Sanat

21:30

Concert Hidden Orchestra

Babylon

06 OCT FRI
2

20:30

Concert Ladies and New Standards

Zorlu PSM, Turkcell Platinum Stage

22:00

Concert Mehmet Uluğ Tribute Night: İlhan Erşahin & Friends

Babylon

07 OCT SAT
4

11:00

Workshop Wild Child Orchestra

Akbank Sanat

15:00

Conversation Afro-Cuban Jazz: Past and Present

Akbank Sanat

20:30

Concert Tord Gustavsen Trio

Zorlu PSM, Turkcell Platinum Stage

22:00

Concert Erik Truffaz "Rollin’ & Clap!"

Babylon

08 OCT SUN
3

11:30

Concert Cazlı Brunch

Serenita, SES Eşitlik ve Dayanışma Derneği Lokali

16:00

Concert Alara Tütüncü Duo

MSGSÜ Tophane-i Amire Kültür ve Sanat Merkezi

19:00

Concert Seçil Akmirza & Alp Ersönmez Band

Bizim Tepe

Add event to your calendar

Subscribe to Newsletter

Registration Form

I've read and approved the KVKK text.