Meet Serkan Aktaş

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Serkan Aktaş a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Serkan, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?

For me, creativity isn’t something that randomly appears — it’s a way of living, a discipline. I always say: “Read every day, watch every day, write every day, and then make your movie.” This is my mantra. It’s how I keep the creative fire alive, every single day.

Reading is the foundation of my imagination. I read novels constantly — especially the classics. Ancient Greek and Roman comedies and tragedies, the works of Shakespeare, Cervantes, Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, Turgenev, and Pushkin — these aren’t just great stories, they are timeless explorations of the human condition. I also read the great thinkers and mystics of the East: Mevlana (Rumi), Feridüddin Attar, Saadi Shirazi, and Hay Bin Yakzan by Ibn Tufayl — a philosophical novel that still deeply influences my approach to cinema.

These voices from different cultures and centuries create a dialogue in my mind — between reason and emotion, science and spirituality, myth and reality. They feed into my love for fantasy and science fiction, helping me to build worlds that are not only imaginative, but also deeply human and reflective.

Watching films daily keeps my cinematic instincts sharp. Writing every day, whether it’s a script or just thoughts, helps me think visually and philosophically. And filmmaking is the space where all of this converges — where ideas are translated into light, shadow, and meaning.

Creativity stays alive when you live with curiosity and discipline — and that’s how I live.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

Spreading the Word: About Serkan Aktaş and His Work
My name is Serkan Aktaş, and I am proud to be the most award-winning filmmaker in Turkiye, having received over 215 awards worldwide, including 53 prestigious awards in the USA alone, where my films have been officially selected in 35 states. This international recognition reflects not only the quality of my work but the universal resonance of the stories I tell.
I specialize in fantasy and science fiction cinema, creating films that go beyond entertainment — they are explorations into the deepest questions of existence. What does it mean to be human? How do we balance curiosity with caution? What lies beyond the limits of what we know? These questions shape every project I undertake.
My academic background — with degrees in Business Administration and Mathematics, and advanced studies culminating in a Master’s and Doctorate in Film and Television — informs my artistic vision. I fuse abstract mathematics, cosmology, metaphysics, and Sufi philosophy to create cinematic experiences that are intellectually rich and emotionally engaging.
Some of my most acclaimed films include:
• The Librarian (2022)
• Resurrection Under the Ocean (2021)
• Mirrorty (2017)
• The Death Ox (2022)
• Lucky Coin! (2022)
I strive to make films that viewers want to revisit — as I believe “the best movie is one that can be watched over and over again.” My goal is for audiences worldwide to experience the joy, wonder, and profound thought that cinema inspires in me.
Alongside filmmaking, I’ve authored several books — The Librarian, Mirrorty — each expanding the universe of my films with deeper philosophical layers.
Looking ahead, I’m focused on expanding my international presence and continuing to create films that push boundaries, challenge perspectives, and contribute meaningfully to global conversations. With my filmmaker identity and intellectual perspective, I aim to find solutions to some of the world’s unsolved problems — or at least to open minds to new possibilities through the power of cinema.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Reflecting on my journey as a filmmaker, three qualities and areas of knowledge stand out as truly transformative:
1. Discipline and Daily Practice:
Creativity isn’t accidental — it requires commitment. My mantra, “Read every day, watch every day, write every day, and then make your movie,” is more than advice; it’s a way of life. This daily discipline sharpens the mind and nurtures ideas. Without it, creativity fades.
2. Interdisciplinary Knowledge:
My background in business, mathematics, and advanced film studies allowed me to approach filmmaking with a unique perspective. Exploring abstract mathematics, cosmology, metaphysics, and Sufi philosophy has deepened my understanding of human existence and narrative structure. This intellectual foundation enriches my storytelling and connects my films to universal questions.
3. Curiosity and Purpose:
I constantly ask: What does it mean to be human? How do we balance curiosity with caution? This curiosity drives me to push boundaries. But more importantly, I see filmmaking as a tool for meaningful impact. With my intellectual perspective and filmmaker identity, I strive to find solutions to the world’s unsolved real-world problems or contribute to those solutions through making movies. That sense of purpose has been essential.
Advice to those starting out:
Stay curious and disciplined. Cultivate your mind by reading widely and thinking deeply. Don’t just make films — make films that matter. I want people to experience the same joy and wonder that cinema brings me. If you embrace this mindset, your work will resonate far beyond the screen.

We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?

I believe it’s far more valuable to become well-rounded by investing effort in the areas where you aren’t naturally strong. That’s where true growth happens. Strength alone doesn’t define a great artist — it’s the courage to face your limitations and turn them into new abilities that elevates your work.
If you want to make real progress — not just as an artist, but as a human being — you must confront your weaknesses directly. Every challenge is an opportunity to transform yourself. And this transformation is where real achievement begins. I’ve always approached my journey with this mindset. It takes time, patience, and discomfort, but the rewards are lasting.
As artists, we must embrace diligence, patience, and loyalty as our companions. Loyalty to the process. Patience with the struggle. Diligence in the daily work. These are what complete an artist — not just raw talent, but the will to improve where we fall short.
Being well-rounded doesn’t mean being perfect. It means being complete. It means refusing to settle for half of who you could be.

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Serkan Aktaş

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