Directing

İlker Savaşkurt

Born 1986-01-22 · Istanbul, Turkey

Ilker Savaskurt is a director, actor and musician. He studied Cinema & Television at the Yeditepe University in Istanbul. In the music industry he has worked with bands such as Altar and UCK Grind. He has organized musical and cultural events all around Turkey. He moved to USA in 2006. After his return to Istanbul he continued his cinema career. Worked in projects for international adaptations of television shows. He directed numerous advertisements. Meanwhile he also continued his acting career in theatre, television and cinema. He is the director, editor and founder member of the movie production company Amirler Film. Since 2012 he works as an associate and filmmaker for Openvizor. In 2015 he moved to Paris for “Ballad of Exiles – Yilmaz Güney”, his first feature length documentary. In 2016 he directed “Groom’s Block”, his directorial debut, a feature length movie. In 2020 he directed “Reflection – Akis”.

Acting credits

Behind the camera

Reflection poster
7.3

A quirky receptionist in a hotel in Istanbul welcomes guests as they tumble upon their daily struggles, all to end up in a mix of chaos and dread after the arrival of a mysterious man who declares that he is their patron Saint.

Reflection

2022

Reflection poster
7.3

A quirky receptionist in a hotel in Istanbul welcomes guests as they tumble upon their daily struggles, all to end up in a mix of chaos and dread after the arrival of a mysterious man who declares that he is their patron Saint.

Reflection

2022

Ballad of Exiles: Yılmaz Güney poster
NR

Having spent ten years of his life in prisons, Güney escaped from Isparta Semi-Open Prison in 1981 and went to Paris, where he would spend the last years of his life. The recognition Güney received as a filmmaker in France brought him the Palme D'or at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival for his film "The Road." The documentary builds a bridge between France and Turkey through Yılmaz Güney, tracing his footsteps in Paris, the filming process of "The Wall," the lives he influenced through his political struggle and cinema, and the stories of those who were forced to leave their country after September 12th, who came to France as immigrants, his friends and colleagues, and the life stories of exiled people whose paths somehow intersected with his during this journey.

Ballad of Exiles: Yılmaz Güney

2016

Oyunda Kal: Eğlence Arenası poster
NR

The story of 12 young people who participate in a competition program where they compete fiercely on courses consisting of various obstacles. When report card week arrives, there is a change in the children's vacation plans. While enjoying their summer vacation, the children will also be competing. The contestants will consist of 6 celebrities and 6 volunteers who have passed the auditions prepared by the celebrities. The 12 contestants will face off in the Entertainment Arena to "stay in the game" and win the Magic Wand award. In this competition, which includes sports, intelligence, and strategy games, team spirit is just as important as individual effort.

Oyunda Kal: Eğlence Arenası

2024

Groom's Block poster
5.6

Groom's Block is slang in Turkey for prison sections holding those accused of serious sex crimes. The film's story and characters are drawn from everyday life. In the Groom's Block, the guards and prison governor manipulate tensions, as prisoners push each other to the edge of existence. We experience the tension and paradox of a violent prison and justice systems reflecting the shifting moral norms and structure of Turkish society. The jailed and jailers enforce violent justice daily, expressing in their lives a society confronted with its need to hide from itself, in desperate denial of its cruel contradictions.

Groom's Block

2017