senemaytac@gmail.com
Selection Committee Member for Feature Length, Kasseler Dokfest (2024- )
Online Seminar: Thinking Through Films (12.04.2025-10.05.2025)
Article about archive films for Sanat Dünyamız Magazine, as part of the Film Programme realised by Yapı Kredi Kültür Sanat.(January 2025).
Mentoring and lecturing for a film workshop in collaboration with Nar Sanat Derneği and Altyazı, in Antep (March-June 2025)
English article about Seen Unseen for Altyazı Fasikül (February 2025)
Workshop Coordinator for Culture Civic, Unlocking Memory: Image, Record, Archive Ankara, 20-23.09.2024
Curator of a short film program for Shapeshifting Film Festival entitled 'Shifting Form, Shaping Memory', 16.09.2024
Editor at the Visual Storytelling Workshop as part of 'Urgently Wanted: Freedom of Learning and Research' by Off University.
Curator of a short film program for The Watch as part of Project Space Festival Berlin 2024, 30.06.2024
Conversation with artist/director Özlem Sarıyıldız as part of the workshop 'Political Aesthetics of Recent Turkish-German Cinema' realised by Cinepoetics: Center For Advanced Film Studies in Freie Universität Berlin, January 2024
Curated a screening and talk as part of Don't look! (bak.ma: 10 years of archiving social resistance) at AGIT, December 2023
Editor of Zine which is realised as part of ‘Beyond Home: A Feminist Deconstruction’ exhibition realised in Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanian between 10.06-20.08.2023
Moderated the panel 'Routes & Roots: Kollektive & individuelle Praktiken' as part of Celebrating New Wave: Kunst in Almanya Festival in Freiburg, July 2023
Curated screenings and talks at Sinema Transtopia:
https://sinematranstopia.com/en/common-visions-berlin/acabou-o-amorlove-is-overask-bitti
https://sinematranstopia.com/en/restart-transtopia/mon-pere-la-revolution-et-moi
Translation of a feature length film script (Pastoral Pathways) from English to Turkish for NiKo Film
Screening and Talk as part of GeZinema Program for Gezİ–Ten Years After realised in Maxim Gorki Theater, May 2023
Curated a screening and talk as part of 'Treasure' exhibition at SBK Berlin.
https://hierundjetzt.blo-ateliers.de/senem-aytac
Granted with a one year scholarship from Martin Roth Initiative.
curated screenings and talks at Hier&Jetzt: Connections
contributed to TFFB-Türkisches Film Festival Berlin with moderating talks
contributed to the online exhibition entitled ‘Out There’ by Hier&Jetzt: Connections with an audio-visual art work
commissioned to be a selection committee member for ‘Artists in Exile, Exchange & Residency Program’ at B.L.O. Ateliers Lockkunst e.V.
wochederkritik.de/de_DE/critics-week/team/
A trans-disciplinary podcast series on Justice realised by Anadolu Kültür.
www.anadolukultur.org/34-calismalarimiz/1090-adalet-atlasi
The podcast series also published as a book:
https://iletisim.com.tr/kitap/adalet-atlasi/10443
Our association mainly focuses on censorship and freedom of expression in film in Turkey
financial, organizational and legal responsibilities of the core funding the association was granted by European Endowment For Democracy (EED)
established Altyazı Fasikül: Free Cinema, an outlet that mainly focuses on censorship, gender equality, violation of rights and freedom of expression in film. Along with regular content, we have curated two video series, Looking Outside and From Below.
Altyazı is the main independent film magazine in Turkey with a nationwide distribution which is one of the main actors of the film culture.
‘Young Turkish Cinema’ film program and booklet for 38. International Film Festival Rotterdam and Crossing Europe Film Festival (ed. with Gözde Onaran).
‘New Cinema from Turkey’ film program and booklet for 3. Middle East International Film Festival, Abu Dhabi
(ed. with Gözde Onaran).
Organised and realised film seminars for over a year in cooperation with Anadolu Kültür in four cities around Anatolia: Kars, Mersin, Çanakkale, Diyarbakır.
• January 2018: Film Analysis and Writing on Film
• May 2015: Film Culture
• September 2006: Film Culture
• March 2006: Film Analysis
• October 2005: Film History
• July 2007: Film History, Creative Writing
https://nesinsanatkoyu.org/program/sinema-semineri
July 2012: Film Culture and Film Literacy
Chapter in Erguvani İstimbot (previously a podcast series in Açık Radyo), a conversation about La Ciénaga by Lucrecia Martel (Doğan Kitap, 2023).
Two chapters in Adalet Atlası, (İletişim Yay., 2023)
Previously a podcast series, which I was also contributed as advisory board and attended three episodes.
‘Sıkıntı ve Gündüz Düşleri’ in Sıkıntı Var (İletişim Yay., 2020)
Creative non-fiction article on cinema, in a collection on the variations of the theme Boredom.
Türk Sinemasında 100 Unutulmaz Karakter (Edebi Şeyler, 2016)
A collective book covering 100 unforgettable characters from Turkish cinema.
‘Kalabalık Nesneler’ in Külkedisi Manifestoları (Doğan Kitap, 2015)
A fiction story for a collection of feminist stories gathered around The Cinderella Tale.
'Article about Pelin Esmer's film '10 to 11’ in World Film Locations: Istanbul (English Edition, Ed. Özlem Köksal, 2011).
‘Sınır Üzerinde Hayat’ in Reha Erdem: Aşk ve İsyan (Çitlembik Yayınları, 2009)
Chapter for a book on Reha Erdem who is one of the most acclaimed directors from Turkey.
‘Destiny’ in Mental Minefields: The Dark Tales of Zeki Demirkubuz (Lincoln Center, New York, Ed.: Zeynep Dadak ve Enis Köstepen, 2007, English)
Film in Turkey (Dutch Culture, 2019)
A general overview report on all aspects of the Film Industry of Turkey for Dutch Culture, co-written an edited with Melis Behlil.
Gayri Resmi ve Resimli Dünya Sinema Sözlüğü (ed. Senem Aytaç & Fırat Yücel, Altyazı, 2018.)
An ‘Informal World Cinema Dictionary’ that consists of overlooked or undermined items from the history of world cinema.
Mithat Alam Film Merkezi-Sinema Söyleşileri (Boğaziçi University Press, 2017)
A yearly series of compilations of talks realised with guests at the Mithat Alam Film Center.
Altyazı'nın Gayri Resmi ve Resimli Türkiye Sinema Sözlüğü (Ed. Collective, 2015)
Part of the editorial team and contributed with various items. An informal dictionary for cinema from Turkey.
Yeşilçam’ın Tüm Harfleri: Safa Önal (AKSAV Yayınları, 2010, ed. with Gözde Onaran)
A book for Antalya Film Festival on one of the most important scriptwriters of Turkish Cinema Safa Önal.
Film Dili (Film Language, John Marland , Steven Rawle, Literatür, 2015).
X-Men Series (23 issues, published in two volumes) (Arka Bahçe, 2000).
Contributed mainly to Altyazı Monthly Film Magazine, but also to other outlets such as Arka Pencere, K24, Radikal with over hundreds of articles and interviews.
https://altyazi.net/author/senem-aytac/
Organized a workshop discussion on censorship & film criticism in Turkey
http://wochederkritik.de/en_US/konferenz-2020/
https://www.berlinale-talents.de/bt/expert/view/1781
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVUBNbGzSJg&t=2437s
https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/sightandsoundpoll2012/voter/110
https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/greatest-films-all-time/all-voters/senem-aytac
https://fipresci.org/people/senem-aytac/
served as a jury member in:
2023: International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA)
2017: 22nd International Film Festival of Kerala
2016: 20th Black Nights Film Festival, Tallinn
2014: 11th Seville European Film Festival
2009: 28th Istanbul International Film Festival
Served as a Board Member between 2010-2013
https://siyad.net/senem-aytac/
2000-2003
Film-TV Department, MA
Thesis: The Present as Nightmare: Dystopian Sentiment in Modern American Film
1995-1999
Faculty of Social Sciences, Psychology Department, BA