Screenwriter and filmmaker, Azra Deniz Okyay has filmed various shorts, documentary and video art projects, fashion videos, commercials and music videos. Incorporating elements of video art and documentary in her work, she is committed to telling stories of her generation. From the age of 12, she developed a passion for photography and got her first job two years later as an assistant to photographer Dora Gunel. She trained with a French production company, and started making her own short films, Cengiz (2002) and La Sepa-ration (2004). Mapping Istanbul’s urban transformation, Okyay’s debut feature Ghosts (2020) depicts contemporary issues such as urban transformation, Syrian migrants, femicides as well as the blockade and rebellion in the city with a colourful visual style. The film received several awards, including Best Film and Best Director at Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival (2020); Human Values Award in International Competition Thessaloniki Film Festival (2020); and Grand Prize Venice International Critics' Week, Venice Film Festival (2020). She holds a BA and MA in Cinema from the Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris (2002 and 2006 respectively). Okyay was born in 1983 in Istanbul, where she continues to live and work. SAF Participation: Sharjah Film Platform 4 (2021)