• About Tolga Karaçelik

Tolga Karacelik is a writer and director who grew up in Istanbul. His mother is a painter and his father is a businessman. He studied law before studying film in New York City, and directed short films and music videos before making his first feature. His debut, Toll Booth (2010), had its European premiere at the Warsaw Film Festival and was chosen as the opening film of the Smithsonian and MoMA's Global Lens Program. His breakthrough came with his second film, Ivy (2015), which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, played major festivals including Toronto and Karlovy Vary, and won Best Film at London's East End Film Festival, going on to reach cult status in Turkish cinema. His profile rose further with Butterflies (2018), which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. His most recent film, Psycho Therapy (2024), marked his English-language debut and won the Audience Award at the Tribeca Film Festival. Karacelik now lives between London and Istanbul.