Success, with its countless facets, is heavily sought by men and women, young and old. For some of us, it defines our identity and our standing in society. Award-winning filmmaker Özlem Altingöz sees success differently.
Özlem is no stranger to victories. In the past five years alone, she has brought to life multiple short films, showing her prowess as a multi-talented rising star. Born in Mersin, Turkey, Özlem moved to the United States to pursue her professional career. She earned her filmmaking degree in 2018 from the prestigious New York Film Academy in Los Angeles.
This director, writer, and producer has a long list of accolades to her name. The Bronze Palm Award during the 2017 Mexico International Film Festival, Winner of the 2018 Cannes Screenplay Contest, and the 2018 Los Angeles Movie Awards are just a few of the several recognitions she has already achieved.
Most impressive of Özlem’s works include the 2017 film, Daughter of the Lake, which garnered critical acclaim on the festival circuit. With over forty awards, Daughter of the Lake was deemed Best Film Short and Best Screenplay. Özlem was also awarded Best Women Filmmakers for her technical expertise, visual supremacy, and storyline originality. In addition, her 2018 short horror film, Birth, made its memorable debut at the 2018 Festival de Cannes Short Film Corner. After being screened in a lot of other prestigious festivals such as the Sitges Film Festival and Montreal World Film Festival, this story of the extent to which one man would go to save his family accumulated over forty awards. Özlem took home prizes for Best Producer, Best Director, Best Original Story, and Best Horror Short, demonstrating her consistency at producing quality films.
And in 2020, highly-acclaimed Özlem explored the social issue of homelessness in Los Angeles County through the short documentary, Los Angeles City of Dreams and Fallen Angels.
Ever since she started in the industry, Özlem has hit the ground running and has no plans of slowing down. So far, she has led a total of seven scripts, getting her feet soaking wet throughout the process from conception to distribution.
Özlem was able to go this far because she did not let success define who she is as a writer, director, and producer. Instead, she set her own standards, believing that success is not about the numbers. It is about making a significant impact in the lives of who she is telling her story to. It is about sharing her love and passion for films and embracing what people think and feel about her work.
Teens and adults who are fans of horror films can expect to enjoy the thrill that characterizes Özlem’s movies. And it is a no-brainer that she will continue to impress viewers all around the world with her skills as a writer, director, and producer. Her storytelling ingenuity will, for sure, resonate with her audience and make any future project of hers a definite success.
Özlem is just getting started. Having paved her unique approach to telling stories, she is set to become one of the big names in Hollywood.
