Mustafa Altıoklar

Mustafa Altıoklar — Biography

Mustafa Altıoklar is a filmmaker who turned to cinema after medical and physiotherapy training: a director who also writes and produces and occasionally steps in front of the camera. He made his name above all with feature films such as İstanbul Kanatlarımın Altında, Ağır Roman, Asansör and O Şimdi Asker. For a period he also chaired a film directors' association.

His start was in short films: Lapsus and Ayak Sesleri (1988) and Çizgim (1989) won prizes at several competitions, and the success of his short films steered him toward directing instead of medicine. His first feature, Denize Hançer Düştü (1992), earned him the Promising New Director award at the Ankara Film Festival. He continued with İstanbul Kanatlarımın Altında (1996) and Ağır Roman (1997), followed by Asansör (1999), Fosforlu Cevriye (2000), O Şimdi Asker (2003), Banyo (2005) and Beyza'nın Kadınları (2006). O Şimdi Asker brought him the Best Director award of the Magazine Journalists Association, and Beyza'nın Kadınları the Bronze Gryphon at the St. Petersburg Film Festival.

In the 2000s he also turned to television: Lise Defteri, 3. Tür, Kelebek Çıkmazı, Yasak Elma, Kahve Bahane, the second season of Behzat Ç. Bir Ankara Polisiyesi and Acayip Hikayeler are among the productions he directed. He also acted in the films Dansöz and Komser Şekspir. He is the uncle of the actor Sarp Levendoğlu.