Ela Alyamac

Ela Alyamac (born February 3, 1978) is a Turkish film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. She is best known for the independent feature films 'Fairy Dust'' (2008) and ''Lost Birds'' (2015). Alyamac was born and raised in Kadiköy, Istanbul. She spent her summers between Cappadocia, Turkey and Bournemouth, England as a child. Alyamac graduated from Leysin American School in Switzerland in 1996. She attended Chapman University, in Orange County, California where she majored in Film/TV production with a minor in Film/TV studies and graduated cum laude in 2000. Alyamac made her debut with ''Fairy Dust''(2008), a romantic drama about growing up,making peace with the past and believing in miracles. The film significantly changed how romantic comedies and coming-of-age movies are told in Turkey. After meeting writer-director Aren Perdeci, the duo began a five year journey to realize ''Lost Birds'' (2015) which would become a second feature for both directors. "Lost Birds" is the first film shot in Turkey to depict the great tragedy of 1915. The screenplay of "Lost Birds" was selected by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Margaret Herrick Library's Core Collection in 2016 for educational and archival purposes. The cinematography and period production design are exquisitely crafted across the entire film, "Lost Birds" was featured in American Cinematographer Magazine's September 2015 issue, singing praises to its stunning cinematography. The ten page article was a first for a project from Turkey at the legendary magazine. Admiringly reviewed by the HFPA at the 2015 Golden Globes, "Lost Birds" was premiered at the Egyptian Theatre in LA in 2015 and won the Armin T. Wegner Humanitarian Award at the Arpa International Film Festival along with best feature film and best director awards The film was also congratulated by the then governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger. "Lost Birds" became a signature work both for Ela Alyamac and Aren Perdeci. The film was also theatrically released in 2015 in Los Angeles, in Glendale. After this theatrical release, the film was eligible to apply for the Academy Awards from the U.S. "Lost Birds" was released in Turkey in April 1, 2016. It was the fist film which was able to build a bridge between the Turkish audience and the tragic events of 1915. "Lost Birds" was the first film about the 1915 Armenian tragedy shot in Turkey and for the first time Armenians in Turkey were presented on screen as they were. Many Armenian audience members in Turkey felt that for the first time Armenians and Armenian way of life was depicted truthfully. The Canadian premiere of "Lost Birds" was at the Pomegranate Film Festival in Toronto, in 2016. The film received Best Feature film and the Audience Choice Awards. In 2018 "Lost Birds" was the opening film in Sydney, Australia at the Armenian Film Festival. Alyamac's favorite themes are childhood, fairy tales, miracles, memories and inner relations of family. 'Fairy Dust'' is about believing in miracles and the main character believes that she will heal her best friend with the fairy dust she gathers from the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia. ''Lost Birds'' is an Anatolian fairy tale, a poignant story about a time gone by and the film tries to capture the beautiful memory of an era. Frank Capra and Billy Wilder are her favorite directors and biggest influences.