about

Mert Kaya - Filmmaker

I am a documentary filmmaker based in Istanbul. I lived in São Paulo between 2011-2012 as an AFS Intercultural Exchange student and still visiting Brazil frequently for screenings and projects. I have a BA in Political Science and Film Studies Certificate from Bogaziçi University.

My interest in cinema is deriving from my motivation to discuss social issues with a visual medium. Taking a camera in my hand for the first time in 2014, I aimed to tell the story of protest movements in 2013 happening both in my home country Turkey, where I took part of, and in Brazil, where I have strong connections. So my first film Love is Over (2017) produced with these motivations and it made its premiere at 36th IKSV Istanbul Film Festival's National Documentary Competition and awarded by 10th DOCUMENTARIST Istanbul Documentary Festival's jury with JvdK New Talent Award.

Additionally it was shown in various film festivals, universities and academic conferences.

I also produce a video installations. One of these called "Ghost" which was produced for an exhibition called Asikar Sır -Public Secrets in English -(2019). The video discusses place memory and how social movements shape it. To do that, video focuses on Galatasaray Square and Saturday Mothers, who continue their weekly vigils since 90s at this square to demand truth and justice for their forcibly disappeared relatives. The exhibition was part of event series organized for the International Week of the Disappeared.

I participated Bienalle Architecture Venice 2021 with a project called Side by Side with a team of collaborator. I also participated Istanbul Biennial's mentorship program called ÇAP in 2022.

I am a founder and creative director of a production studio called Jota. With Jota, we produce films, documentaries, videos, live streamings and podcasts mainly for NGOs and culture and art sector.