A filmmaker who tells stories between worlds — rooted in the cultural depth of Istanbul, inspired by the human condition.

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A graduate of Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters, Department of Anthropology, Gözde Sukmenyıldız merges her curiosity for understanding people with her passion for cinema. Since 2006, she has written and directed narrative, documentary, experimental, and animated short films that have screened at festivals across Turkey, as well as in Canada, France, South Korea, and China.

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Her films explore inner conflicts, social sensitivities, and the quiet yet profound moments of everyday life with emotional precision. In 2011, she was selected for the prestigious Talent Campus of the Sarajevo Film Festival, marking an important step in her international journey.

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As a writer, director, and producer under the umbrella of Lavanta Film, she continues to develop feature-length and short film projects. Three of her works have received production support from the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

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Her festival history includes selections from Cannes Short Film Corner, Antalya Golden Orange, Ankara, Akbank, Flying Broom, Marmaris, and Istanbul Short Film Festival, among others.

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From anthropology to cinema, Sukmenyıldız continues to follow the same question that guides her storytelling:

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“When a story touches someone’s heart — what does it truly change?”