Biografia
Alphan Eseli, born on March 7, 1973, is a Turkish filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, and photographer. He was born in Ankara, Turkey, where his father served as a diplomat for the Turkish government. Shortly after, the family relocated to Munich, Germany, where Eseli's early cinematic influences took shape. After completing college, he moved to New York City to pursue film studies, earning a Master of Arts in filmmaking from the New York Institute of Technology.
Following graduation, Eseli directed numerous award-winning commercials and music videos. Early in his career, he also worked as a fashion photographer, collaborating on advertising campaigns with internationally renowned figures such as Gisele Bündchen, Frankie Rayder, Erin Wasson, Angela Lindvall, Olivier Martinez, and others. In 2011, he directed the music video for "Samantha," a single by the American alternative rock band Hole.
Eseli made his feature film debut with The Long Way Home (2013), which he both wrote and directed. Set in the Eastern Anatolian highlands during the harsh winter of 1915, the film follows a group of survivors attempting to return home after the devastating Battle of Sarikamish.
The film garnered multiple awards, including the FIPRESCI Award for Best First Feature Film and the Golden Zenith for Best First Fiction Feature Film at the Montreal World Film Festival. It also received the New Talent Award at the 7th Hong Kong Asia Film Festival and was nominated for the Sutherland Award for Best Feature Film at the 57th BFI London Film Festival.
Additionally, The Long Way Home earned the Special Jury Prize, Best Actor Award, and Audience Award at the 4th Malatya International Film Festival, as well as Best Art Direction and Best Original Music Score (composed by Hungarian musician Mihály Víg) at the 20th International Adana Film Festival.
In 2015, Eseli directed Little Bullets, a short film portraying a Syrian mother and daughter forced to flee their war-torn country. The film premiered internationally at the 43rd Telluride Film Festival and was also featured in the official selections of the 54th New York Film Festival and the Palm Springs International Film Festival.
In 2017, he directed "Procedure," a drama/science-fiction episode of the acclaimed Turkish web series 7 Faces (7 Yüz). That same year, he directed the provocative vampire-themed music video for "Geceler," a hit song by Turkish hip-hop artist Ezhel.
In 2018, Eseli wrote and directed Yasamayanlar (Immortals), Turkey's first vampire drama web series. The eight-episode series gained attention for its depiction of Istanbul's underground culture and hip-hop scene. In 2019, Yasamayanlar was acquired by Netflix and distributed worldwide as a Netflix Original.
Also in 2019, he directed "Müjde," a segment of the anthology film Once Upon A Time in The Middle East.
Since 2009, Eseli has co-founded the multidisciplinary arts and culture platform ISTANBUL'74 and the Istanbul International Arts and Culture Festival (IST. Festival) alongside his wife, creative director Demet Müftüoğlu Eseli.
