EARLY WINTER

Özcan Alper |
Turkey |
2025 |
92Min |
Turkish, Georgian
Ferhat (49), an Istanbul factory manager, and his wife Handan (45) have a daughter, Ada, through surrogacy with Lia (28), a Georgian-Ukrainian artist. When the Russia-Ukraine war breaks out, Lia is stranded in Istanbul, reluctant to leave Ada and hoping surrogacy might be her path to Europe. Uncomfortable with their bond, Handan arranges for Lia to be sent to Georgia. The three-day journey to the border becomes transformative for Ferhat and Lia, deepening their understanding of each other and marking the beginning of an uncertain road through themes of belonging, displacement, love, and family.
Özcan Alper
Soner Alper
Yağız Yavru
Uğur Aydedim
Layla Tanlar, Timucin Esen

Screenings

25 Jul 14:00 Suncoast 6
1 Aug 14:30 Suncoast 5

Özcan Alper

His first film, Autumn, was shown at more than 60 festivals and won nearly 40 awards. It was nominated for European Discovery by the European Film Academy. His second feature film, The Future Lasts Forever, premiered at the 36th Toronto International Film Festival. His third feature film, Memories of the Wind, was supported by the Cannes Film Festival Cinéfondation L’Atelier and the Rotterdam Film Festival Hubert Bals Fund. His fourth film, Blackest Night, was supported by the Berlinale World Cinema Fund and the French Aide aux cinémas du monde (CNC). It won the best film award at the 45th Cinemed Montpellier International Film Festival, and the best film and best script awards at the 59th Antalya International Film Festival. Özcan Alper recently completed the Netflix Original movie Poets Festival, starring Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ. His latest film “Early Winter” is currently in post-production. Alper is currently working on the animated film HAW, adapted from Kemal Varol’s book of the same name.

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