M is For Mum
Short documentary; Kurdish, Turkish, English with English subtitles, 7’42”, 2021
Director, producer, editor: Mizgin Mujde Arslan
A filmmaker mum struggles between her film career and motherhood during the Covid-19 pandemic. Tension increases as lockdown tightens.
London International SMart Film Festival, Official Selection (Documentary/Factual – 10 minutes or under)
Arin
10’44’’, UK, Kurdish-English, 2017
Producer: Lisya Yafet, Mizgin Mujde Arslan
Scriptwriter, Director: Mizgin Mujde Arslan
Cast: Esra Ugurlu, Gulaga Aslan
Director of Photography: Ozgur Karakaya
Music: Naz Nazli Alatli, Huseyin Alpaslan
Editing: Amy Hamilton, Guray Varol
Sound: Stefania Fantini
Sound design: Ania Przygoda
Synopsis
Solin is a pregnant Kurdish woman living in London with her old dad. Her dad gets lost without a word of English. Solin is chasing after the only thing he managed to describe: a clock tower.
Selected Festivals and awards
12th Crossroads International Short Film Festival, Best Director and Best Short Film
1st AFSAD Short Film Festival, Special Mention, 2018
37th Istanbul Film Festival, National Short Film Competition, 2018
6th International Changing Perspectives Short Film Festival, within "So far, so close"
17th !f Istanbul International Independent Film Festival, within "Secret Witness: Conscience" 2018
4th Duhok International Film Festival, 2017
11th Signs Short and Documentary Film Festival, Opening film, Kerala, India, 2017
7th Malatya International Film Festival, International Short Film Competition, 2017
15th London Short Film Festival, (New Shorts: London Lives) January-2018
12th Boston Turkish Festival Documentary and Short Film Competition, 2017
14th IAWRT Asian Women's Film Festival, 2018
16th International Filmmor Women's Film Festival on Wheels, 2018
10th London Kurdish Film Festival, 2018
Asya
Short fiction, Kurdish, with English subtitles, 8’40“, 2013
Producer: Şirin Güven, Mizgin Müjde Arslan
Director / Senaryo: Mizgin Müjde Arslan
Camera: Veysel Çelik
Editor: Erdal Rahmi Hanay
Cast: Songül Turan, Remziye Turan
Contact: blueartsfilm@gmail.com
Synopsis
Twelve-year-old Asya is not allowed to go to school so that she can look after her siblings. One day, she finds a crystal on the floor and watches life through the crystal throughout the day. Everyone wonders what she is seeing in the crystal.
Selected festivals and awards
2nd Atıf Yılmaz Short Film Competition, Jury Special Award
Shortontop, Best Short Film
Akbank Short Film Festivali, competition
Filmmor Women Film Festival,
Flying Broom Women Film Festivali
Corona Fastnet International Film Festival (Ireland)
20th Capalbio Cinema International Film Festival (Italy)
Altın Koza Film Festival, Competition
Shnit International Short Film Festival (Switzerland), International Competition
Altın Portakal Film Festival, Competition
Duhok International Film Festival
Tanger Mediterranean Film Festival, Competition (Morocco)
İzmir International Film Festival, Competition
Şehrin Kelebekleri Film Festivali
Swedenborg International Short Film Festival 2013, London.
Tel Aviv Student Short Film Festival, Competition
Dieciminuti Film Festival, Italy, Competition
Entretodos 6 - Human Right's short film festival, Competition, Brazil
Karama Human Rights Film Festival, Jordan/Palestine
Which Human Rights? Film Festival, Istanbul
I Flew You Stayed, a feature documentary, 2012
I Flew You Stayed
Feature documentary, Kurdish-Turkish, with English Subtitles, 78’, 2012
Producer: Hüseyin Karabey (Asi Film), Mizgin Müjde Arslan
Director : Mizgin Müjde Arslan
Camera: Özay Şahin
Editors: Baptiste Gacoin, Masum Elmas, Mizgin Müjde Arslan
The film that is setting eyes on a war, to which the whole of country is exposed differently, through a shattered family, is focusing on a man’s ‘fatherhood‘, who is described as a ‘terrorist’ by some, whereas a ‘guerrilla” by some others. I Flew, You Stayed sets the audience out on a sad, full of conflict and realistic odyssey through the eyes of a young woman in pursuit of her father who had participated in the Kurdish guerrilla movement shortly after she was born.
I Flew, You Stayed is a movie recounting how the director, Mizgin Müjde Arslan, looks for her father in 2009 in order to make after her childhood in Mardin and then how she goes to the Makhmour Refugee Camp. Meanwhile she goes on asking the same question: Had he ever loved her?
Selected awards and festivals
2014, Mirella Galetti Award, Italy
2013, 4. Filmamed Documentary Film Festival, Public Award
2013, Turkey Film Critics Association, Best Documentary of Year 2012
2012, “I Flew You Stayed”, Vangolu Film Festival, Jury Special Award
2012, “I Flew You Stayed”, Amed Film Festival, Best Documentary Award
2013, Boston Turkish Documentary and Short Film Competition, Mention Award
2013, 61th Trento Film Festival, Italy
2012, 31. Istanbul Film Festival, National Competition
An article about the film: I FLEW YOU STAYED AS AN EXAMPLE OF DOMESTIC ETHNOGRAPHY
A Fatal Dress Polygamy
Documentary, Kurdish-Turkish, with English Subtitles, 45’, 2009
Director: Mizgin Mujde Arslan
Director of Photography: Senem Tüzen, Metin Avdaç
Editing: Masum Elmas
Emine became a 'kuma' (second wife) when she was 14. Her husband is her cousin. His first wife was another cousin of his. She was exposed to violence, and took shelter in her father’s house. When her wounds were healed it was her father who took her back to her husband. Emine, my aunt, is the first story that I remember from my childhood. Emine, will now live with her empty mind that would not make her suffer any more. What about other women?
2009, Turkey Film Critics Association, Best Documentary of Year, Nominee
It was broadcasted on one of the mainstream TV channels, Kanal 24.
A Fatal Dress Polygamy first publicly shared on Mizgin Arslan’s YouTube page in 2015 and since then hit over 1.5 million views.
Festivals
2010, 3rd Samsung Women’s International Film Festival in Chennai, India
2010, Golden Apricot Int. Film Festival, Yerevan, Armenia
2009, 28th Istanbul Film Festival
2009, 8th Int. Filmmor Women Film Festival
2010, 21st Ankara Film Festival
2010, 46th Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival
2009, 4th Bursa Crossroads Film Festival
2009, 12th Flying Broom Women International Film Festival
2009, Documentarist
2009, 4th International Mardin Film Festival
2010, London Kurdish Film Festival
A news about the film before its world premiere in Istanbul Film Festival
The Last game
Short fiction, no dialogue, 13’, 2006
Writer and director: Mujde Arslan
Cast: Hasan Günyar, İlyas Bestan
Synopsis
A story of friendship told through a very special relationship of two old men who live in ghettos of the city. They live in two distant corners, but yet, everyday they cross the city with many difficulties to meet and play chess. It is a place far from the city where skyscrapers are seen behind haze. Do these two old kings have any chance to win this game against the city?
Selected festivals and awards:
2006, 5th Mediterranean Short Film Festival of Tangier, Special Mention Award (Morocco)
12th Boston Turkish Festival Documentary and Short Film Competition (2007): Best Short Film Award
2006, Marmara University Short Film Competition (2007): Best Cinematography Special Mention Award
PAM Environmental Film Festival (2007): Encourage Award
Tohum Short Film Festival (2007): Love and Friendship Award