Born in Ankara, Turkey, Kaan Müjdeci moved to Berlin, Germany in 2003 in order to study film directing. Instead, he first opened an illegal open-air cinema, then a bar, and finally, a fashion store. In parallel to all these ventures, Müjdeci has continued filmmaking. Among his short films, Tag der Deutschen Einheit (Day of German Unity) (2010) was bought by several TV channels; and Jerry, his thesis film at the new York Film Academy, was screened within the scope of Berlinale’s Talent campus, which he attended in 2011. Müjdeci’s documentary Babalar ve Ogulları (Fathers and Sons), about dog fights in central Anatolia, served as a platform to write and direct his first feature film entitled Sivas. Shot in 2012 with production support from the Turkish Ministry of Culture, Sivas also received a post-production grant from the Istanbul Film Festival’s Meetings on the Bridge in 2013. A versatile entrepreneur, Müjdeci is also at the helm of the popular Kreuzberg venue Luzia and the concept fashion store Voo.
The Asia Pacific Screen Academy expresses its respect for and acknowledgement of the South East Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. We pay our respects to the Traditional Owners of country, including the custodial communities on whose land works are created and celebrated by the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. We acknowledge the continuing connection to land, waters and communities. We also pay our respects to Elders, past and emerging. We recognise the integral role Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and First Nations peoples continue to play in storytelling and celebration spaces.
