Erol Mintaş

Erol Mintaş is a Helsinki-based filmmaker and doctoral researcher. He holds an M.A. in Film Studies, with a master's thesis exploring the cinema of Andrei Tarkovsky and existentialism. His debut feature, Song of My Mother (2014), won the Heart of Sarajevo Award for Best Film at the Sarajevo Film Festival, while lead actor Feyyaz Duman received the award for Best Actor. The film went on to receive fourteen international awards. His second feature, Earth Song, premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2026. It was subsequently screened at the Istanbul Film Festival and won the Best Feature Film Award at the Amsterdam Kurdish Film Festival. Mintaş has participated in prestigious international residency and development programs, including the Nipkow Programme in Berlin and Film Independent's Global Media Makers in Los Angeles. He has also been selected for major co-production platforms such as CineLink at the Sarajevo Film Festival and the Finnish Film Affair. Filmography Earth Song (2026) International Film Festival Rotterdam (2026) – World Premiere Istanbul Film Festival (2026) Amsterdam Kurdish Film Festival (2026) – Best Feature Film Song of My Mother (2014) Sarajevo Film Festival (2014) – Best Film, Best Actor Festival des 3 Continents, Nantes (2014) – Silver Balloon, Audience Award European Film Festival Lecce (2015) – Olive Tree Award for Best Film Mons International Love Film Festival (2015) – Jury Prize, Best Actor Duhok International Film Festival (2015) – Best Actor Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival (2014) – Best First Feature, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Score Malatya Golden Apricot Film Festival (2014) – Special Jury Prize, Best Screenplay, Film Critics' Award Babel Film Festival, Cagliari (2015) – Best Film Snow (Short Film, 2010) Montpellier Mediterranean Film Festival (2011) Antalya Film Festival (2010) – Best Short Film !f Istanbul Independent Film Festival (2011) – Audience Award Timishort Film Festival (2011) – Best Director Tangier Mediterranean Short Film Festival (2010) Brno Sixteen Film Festival (2010) Sehsüchte International Student Film Festival (2011)