About

Known credits:
76
Birthday:
1973-08-25
Place of birth:
Hamburg, Deutschland
Website:
N/A

Fatih Akin

Overview

Fatih Akin born 25 August 1973 is a German film director, screenwriter and producer. His films have won numerous awards and accolades, including the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival for his film Head-On (2004), Best Screenplay at the Cannes Film Festival for his film The Edge of Heaven (2007), and the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film for his film In the Fade (2017).

Akin was born in Hamburg to Turkish parents. He has one brother, Cem Akin, who works as an actor. He attended the University of Fine Arts of Hamburg to study visual communications and graduated in 2000.

Akin has been married to German-Mexican actress Monique Obermüller since 2004. The couple live in Hamburg-Altona, close to where he was raised.[4] They have two children.

Akin made his debut as director of a full-length film as early as 1998 with Short Sharp Shock (Kurz und schmerzlos), which brought him the "Bronze Leopard" award at the Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland and the "Pierrot", the Bavarian Film Award for Best New Director in Munich the same year. Since then he has directed feature films such as In July (Im Juli) in 2000, We forgot to go back (Wir haben vergessen zurückzukehren) in 2001 and Solino' in 2002.

His fourth film, Head-On (Gegen die Wand), starring Sibel Kekilli, was a major success in 2004 and received several prizes, among them the Golden Bear award at the Berlin Film Festival and the "Best Film" and the "Audience Award" at the 2004 European Film Awards.

In 2005, he directed a documentary about the Istanbul music scene, Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul, which includes musicians such as Ceza, Sezen Aksu, Aynur Doğan and Brenna MacCrimmon. It is narrated by a member of a German experimental band Einstürzende Neubauten, Alexander Hacke, who also produced music for Head-On.

In 2007, Akin's The Edge of Heaven, a German-Turkish cross-cultural tale of loss, mourning and forgiveness, won the prize for Best Screenplay at the 60th Cannes Film Festival in 2007. On 24 October 2007 the same film was awarded the first edition of the LUX prize for European cinema by the European Parliament.

About the comedy Soul Kitchen (2009) he has said he chose this more light-hearted film because he needed a break after making the "tough" films Head-On and The Edge of Heaven before making his next planned film The Devil. "But", he says, "now I feel ready to finish the trilogy".

In 2012, his documentary film Polluting Paradise was screened in the Special Screenings section at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. His 2014 film The Cut was selected to compete for the Golden Lion at the 71st Venice International Film Festival.

In 2017, Akin's film In the Fade was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or in the main competition section at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. At Cannes that year, Diane Kruger won the Best Actress award. The film was subsequently selected as the German entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards, making the December shortlist. In the Fade won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film.

Known for

Acting
2024 Schauburg Mon Amour Actor Self N/A
N/A
2019 Ronny & Klaid Actor Himself 59
Average
2015 From Caligari to Hitler Actor Self - Filmmaker 59
Average
2012 Kusturica - Balkan's Bad Boy Actor Himself 59
Average
2011 Champions: A Comic Tale Actor Self 58
Average
2005 Robbery Alla Turca Actor Lokman 58
Average
2004 Ein krasser Deal Actor Bouncer N/A
N/A
2001 Planet der Kannibalen Actor Mr. Dark 59
Average
2001 The Lovers of the Hotel Osman Actor Ahmet N/A
N/A
2001 A Goddamn Job Actor Ex-Gott 59
Average
2001 The Experiment Actor Cab Driver (voice) 69
Fair
2001 We Have Forgotten to Return Home Actor Himself 58
Average
2000 In July Actor Rumänischer Grenzbeamter 63
Fair
1999 The Last Flight Actor 59
Average
1999 Kismet Actor Tony 59
Average
1998 Short Sharp Shock Actor Nejo 59
Average
1997 Back in Trouble Actor Kebab-Fatih 59
Average
1997 Getürkt Actor 58
Average
1997 Trickser Actor N/A
N/A
1995 Sensin – Du bist es Actor N/A
N/A

Directing
2025 Amrum Directing Director N/A
N/A
2022 Rhinegold Directing Director 59
Average
2019 30/30 Vision: Three Decades of Strand Releasing Directing Director 59
Average
2019 The Golden Glove Directing Director 64
Fair
2017 In the Fade Directing Director 65
Fair
2016 Goodbye Berlin Directing Director 61
Fair
2014 The Cut Directing Director 59
Average
2012 Polluting Paradise Directing Director 59
Average
2009 Soul Kitchen Directing Director 64
Fair
2009 Germany ’09 – 13 Short Films About the State of the Nation Directing Director 59
Average
2008 New York, I Love You Directing Director 59
Average
2007 The Edge of Heaven Directing Director 63
Fair
2007 Altyapi Directing Director N/A
N/A
2005 Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul Directing Director 60
Fair
2004 Visions of Europe Directing Director 58
Average
2004 Head-On Directing Director 67
Fair
2002 Solino Directing Director 60
Fair
2001 We Have Forgotten to Return Home Directing Director 58
Average
2000 In July Directing Director 63
Fair
1998 Short Sharp Shock Directing Director 59
Average
1997 Getürkt Directing Director 58
Average
1995 Sensin – Du bist es Directing Director N/A
N/A

Writing
2025 Amrum Writing Writer N/A
N/A
2022 Rhinegold Writing Screenplay 59
Average
2022 Rhinegold Writing Writer 59
Average
2019 The Golden Glove Writing Screenplay 64
Fair
2017 In the Fade Writing Screenplay 65
Fair
2016 Goodbye Berlin Writing Writer 61
Fair
2014 The Cut Writing Screenplay 59
Average
2012 Polluting Paradise Writing Writer 59
Average
2009 Soul Kitchen Writing Writer 64
Fair
2008 New York, I Love You Writing Writer 59
Average
2007 The Edge of Heaven Writing Screenplay 63
Fair
2005 Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul Writing Writer 60
Fair
2004 Visions of Europe Writing Writer 58
Average
2004 Kebab Connection Writing Screenplay 59
Average
2004 Head-On Writing Author 67
Fair
2000 In July Writing Screenplay 63
Fair
1998 Short Sharp Shock Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1997 Getürkt Writing Writer 58
Average
1995 Sensin – Du bist es Writing Writer N/A
N/A

Production
2022 Rhinegold Production Producer 59
Average
2021 Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash Production Co-Producer 58
Average
2019 The Golden Glove Production Producer 64
Fair
2017 In the Fade Production Producer 65
Fair
2014 The Cut Production Producer 59
Average
2012 Polluting Paradise Production Producer 59
Average
2011 UFO in Her Eyes Production Executive Producer 59
Average
2009 Soul Kitchen Production Producer 64
Fair
2009 Before Your Eyes Production Co-Producer 59
Average
2008 Chiko Production Producer 59
Average
2007 The Edge of Heaven Production Producer 63
Fair
2006 Takva: A Man's Fear of God Production Producer 60
Fair
2005 Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul Production Producer 60
Fair
2004 Visions of Europe Production Producer 58
Average
2004 Head-On Production Producer 67
Fair