Faysal Soysal, a native of Batman, Turkey, was born in 1979. After initially pursuing medical studies, he shifted his focus to poetry and cinema in 2000. Between 2003 and 2007, he completed his Master’s degree in Film Directing at Tehran Art University in Iran, while also studying New Turkish Literature at Van Yuzuncuyil University in Turkey. Soysal directed four short films in Iran that were recognized at international film festivals. His cinematic language developed significantly with the production of his 35mm film “Dreams of Lost Time.”
In 2008, Soysal received a scholarship to attend the New York Film Academy, where he directed four additional short films. He was selected for the Talent Campus of the Sarajevo Film Festival in 2009. Soysal’s first feature film, “Crossroads,” was filmed in Turkey and Bosnia in 2013 and won thirteen awards at various film festivals. He has also produced documentary series for Al Jazeera and TRT TV, and has volunteered with Doctors Worldwide, producing documentaries about their aid efforts in Africa. These documentaries, titled “Worldwide Stories,” were screened on TRT Documentary Channel in the form of eleven episodes. Additionally, Soysal has published books on poetry and cinema, and served as the director of the International Amity Short Film Festival for 6 years. In 2020, Soysal completed his second feature film, “Silenced Tree,” which served as the first co-production between Turkey and Iran and got 28 International awards.
FILMOGRAPHY
Feature Film
Rahma, 2026
Silenced Tree, 2020
Crossroads, 2013
Building of Hope, 2016 Tv-film (As Generel Director and Producer)
Documentary
Palastine, Doctors Worldwide Stories, 2011
Firstly, Songs has been Changed in Istanbul, 2014
Missing Times in Srebrenica-Prijedor, 2015
Worldwide Stories 11 episode, 2014-2015
Mother of Srebrenica 5 episode, 2015
Journey to East-Iranian Kurdish Cultural Life, 26 episode (as Producer)
Short Film
Forbidden Dream, 2005
Ithaki, 2005
The Day I Became My Mother, 2006
Dreams of Lost Time, 2007
Mizan-sen, 2008
What Time It Is ?, 2008
Music Video
İstanbul 2008
İthaca 2008
AWARDS
Rahma
- TRT12 Punto Best-Buy Award, 2023
- Industry Tallinn Film Festival Script Development Section 2023
- Sofia Meeting, Proeject Development, 2024
- Troya Pitching Platform, Best Pitching Project, 2024
- 7th Hanoi Film Festival, Development Platform, Special Jury Award, 2024
- Industry Tallinn Film Festival Working Progress Section 2025
‘Silenced Tree’
- 27th Adana Film Festival, Turkey (September 2020) / Best Music, Best Actor
- Eurosia Film Festival, Russia (November 2020) / Best Camera
- 6th Bremen Film Festival, Germany (April 2021) / Best Literature Film
- Torino Underground Cinefest, Italy (September 2021) / Best Film, Best Editing
- Balkan Panorama Film Festival, Turkey (October 2021) / Best Film, Best Actor
- 6th London City Film Awards (November 2021) / Best Film
- 6th Festival of Moving Image-The Artists Forum NewYork(December 2021) / Best Film, Best Actor
- 9th Antakya Film Festival, Turkey (December 2021) / Best Actor
- 5th Nepal Film Festival (March 2022) / Best Film
- 9th Fine Arts Film Festival, California (June 2022) / Best Film, Best Director
- 2.Neptune Film Awards, Bologna, (June, 2022) / Best Music Score, Best Film
- 14th Hamilton New York Film Festival (August 2022) / Best Film
- 8 & Halfilm Awards (20th August, Rome 2022) / Best Human Rights Film
- 4th Munich Film Awards (22th August, Germany 2022) / Best Film
- San Diego Film Awards (7th September, US, 2022), Best Film
- Spain Film Connect (3rd November, Balearic Island, 2022), Best International Film
- 6.Brazil International Film Festival (7th November, Rio, 2022), Best Film
- Spain Film Connect (23th April, 2023), Best International Film
- Brittany International Film Festival (25th July, 2023), Best International Script
- Dubai International Cine Carnival (5th September, 2023), Critics’ Choice Award for Best Director
- David Film Festival (30th October, 2023), Best Director
- Geneva International Film Festival (24th April, 2024), Best Cinematography
‘Crossroads’
Best Screenplay at 32.Tehran International Fajr Film Festival, 2014
Best Turkish film of 2013 by Eskader Art Critics
Best New Talented Director 25.Ankara Film Festival, 2014
Special Juri Prize, 10.Kazan International Film Festival, 2014
Best Actor, 6.Prifest Kosova International Film Festival, 2014
Best Art Directing, Best DOP, Best Actor, Best Actress, Van Lake Film Festival (Turkey)
Best Film, El Ojo Kojo Film Festival (Spain)
Best Script Xi An Silk Road Film Festival (China)
Best Film Overlook Film Festival (Italy)
“The Dreams of Lost Time”
Best Short Film – Boston Turkish Film Festival, 2008
Best Cinematography and Best film – Marmara University Film Festival, 2007
Honorary Award – Tehran International Short Film Festival, 2007
Best Short Film – Istanbul International Film Festival, 2007
“The Day I Became My Mother”
Special Media Prize – Baku Audio Visual Film Festival, Azerbaijan, 2006
“Forbidden Dream”
Second Short Prize – Kristal Klaket Film Festival, 2007
Best Script and Best Cinematography – Kisa Cek Short Film Festival, 2006
Best Film – Human Rights Short Film Festival in Istanbul, 2005
Best Film from Qazvin (Iran) Short Film Festival, 2005