Gazelle
| Gazelle | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Nadir Sarıbacak Samy Pioneer (Selman) |
| Produced by | Mehmet Tözün Kenan Baysal Ender Zirekoğlu |
| Written by | Nadir Sarıbacak Ayhan Hulagu |
| Starring | Nadir Sarıbacak Abraham Taylor Faysal Ahmed Ziad Alezabi Salem Hadeed Emine Bayındır Sare Aydoğan Ayhan Hulagu Setty Brosevelt Remzi Akman |
| Music by | Ichika Kanagawa |
| Cinematography | Lasse Ulvedal Tolbøll, DFF |
| Edited by | Samy Pioneer |
Production companies | Roaring Cat Films in association with ArtVertora Production |
Release date |
2026 (United States) |
Running time | 100 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English Turkish |
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Gazelle is a 2025 American independent drama film directed by Nadir Sarıbacak and Samy Pioneer in their feature directorial debuts, and written by Sarıbacak and Ayhan Hulagu. The film stars Sarıbacak as Yakup, a Turkish music teacher who migrates to New York after political unrest in Turkey, and follows his attempt to reunite with his wife and daughter.
The film premiered at the 2025 Vancouver International Film Festival in the Vanguard program,[1][2] and is scheduled for its U.S. premiere at the Chicago International Film Festival later the same year.[3]
Plot
Yakup, a music teacher from Turkey, relocates to New York after political turmoil forces him into exile. Alone in the United States, he struggles to bring his wife Ayşe and daughter Neşe to safety. His lawyer warns that legal reunification could take years, leaving Yakup torn between waiting and taking the risk of illegal migration. To fund the journey, he works multiple jobs while secretly arranging with a smuggler. His sacrifices strain his mental health and family ties, and just as he convinces Ayşe to attempt the dangerous passage, her sudden arrest upends everything.[1]
Cast
- Nadir Sarıbacak as Yakup
- Abraham Taylor as Hakim
- Faysal Ahmed as Ahmed
- Ziad Alezabi as Omar
- Salem Hadeed as Ammi
- Emine Bayındır as Ayşe
- Sare Aydoğan as Neşe
- Ayhan Hulagu as Adem
- Setty Brosevelt as Naif
- Remzi Akman as Azad
- Ibrahim Traore as Varun
- Desi Waters as Zeenat
- Mia del Giudice as Malikah
- Brittany Vicars as Lawyer
- Paulina Hill as Secretary at Taner’s Office
- Bill Timoney as Officer Derek
- Dan Becker as Officer James
- Additional cast includes Alya Özgün, Nalan Demircan, Mustafa Ali, Stylianos Psarogiannis, Lauryn Medina, and others.[4]
Production
Gazelle was produced by Roaring Cat Films in association with ArtVertora Production. The producers are Mehmet Tözün, Kenan Baysal, and Ender Zirekoğlu, with Ömer Faruk Gündüz serving as executive producer.
The screenplay was written by Nadir Sarıbacak and Ayhan Hulagu, with Sarıbacak also starring as the lead. Cinematography was handled by Lasse Ulvedal Tolbøll, DFF. Editing was completed by co-director Samy Pioneer, and the original score was composed by Ichika Kanagawa.
Casting was led by Vivian Shamma, with production design by Lorenza Astengo Fefer, art direction by Kelvin Pater, and costume design by Aaron Crosby. Sound design was supervised by Sahand Nikoukar with additional work by Nathan Ruyle. Visual effects were overseen by Stephen Burchell, with finishing completed at Company 3 under colorist Patrick Devine.[5]
Release
The film had its world premiere on October 3, 2025, at the Vancouver International Film Festival in the Vanguard section,[1][2] and will hold its U.S. premiere at the Chicago International Film Festival on October 15, 2025.[3]
Festival circuit
Following its premieres at VIFF and CIFF, Gazelle is expected to continue its international festival run through late 2025 and early 2026.[1][3]
Reception
Writing for Pancouver, Adrian Mack praised Nadir Sarıbacak’s performance, describing it as “compelling from start to finish.”[6]
Accolades
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Gazelle". Vancouver International Film Festival. VIFF. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Ayhan Hulagu ve Nadir Sarıbacak'ın yazdığı Gazelle, Vancouver Film Festivalinde". Sosyalkafa (in Türkçe). 29 August 2025. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Gazelle". Chicago International Film Festival. Chicago IFF. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ↑ Gazelle at IMDb
- ↑ Gazelle Full Cast and Crew on IMDb
- ↑ Mack, Adrian (2 October 2025). "VIFF 2025: Nadir Sarıbacak's compelling performance carries Gazelle from start to finish". Pancouver. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
External links
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