Özgen Zeybek
Born in Akşehir, Turkey, Özgen Zeybek graduated from a Fine Arts High School before completing her music studies at Dokuz Eylül University in İzmir, Turkey. During her university years, she discovered her passion for performing arts by joining the theater club and acting in various plays. Following graduation, she completed her public service assignment as a music teacher for three years in Yüksekova, Hakkari. After her appointment to Istanbul, she continued teaching while working closely with autistic and visually impaired individuals, successfully preparing them for conservatories and music academies. Driven by a deep passion for cinema and storytelling, she pursued a second degree in Radio, Television, and Cinema at Istanbul University in Turkey, graduating in 2023. To expand her artistic range, she completed professional training in dubbing, voice acting, and diction, and studied acting under the mentorship of the renowned Turkish theater and film actress Ayşen İnci. In addition to filmmaking, she also composed original scores for various short films. During her final year at university, Zeybek made her filmmaking debut with the short film "60 Seconds", which she wrote, directed, edited, scored, and starred in. The film achieved notable festival success, making its world premiere at the 61st Golden Knight Malta International Short Film Festival and its national premiere at the 30th Adana Golden Boll Film Festival, ultimately receiving multiple awards worldwide. In November 2025, she completed her second short film, "The Curtain". Across three major festivals in the USA, the film won the prestigious Special Jury Award at the 59th WorldFest-Houston, secured the Award Winner title at the 68th Rochester International Film Festival, and was named a semi-finalist at the 44th Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival. It was a quarter-finalist at the 38th Girona Film Festival in Spain. Additionally, it was officially selected for screening at the Social World Film Festival in Italy, where its inclusion was publicly announced at the Cannes Film Festival. She currently teaches music at the prestigious Kabataş Erkek High School in Istanbul while actively pursuing her cinematic career as a director, actor, and screenwriter.
