ILAYDA CETINKAYA

Ilayda Cetinkaya is an award-winning Middle-Eastern queer producer based in Los Angeles. The 35mm trans short film, "SKIN," which she solo-produced, won the Gold Medal at the 2023 Student Academy Awards and was officially selected by over 25 festivals. She recently line produced a Rising Voices short film, in collaboration with Lena Waithe's Hillman Grad, 271 Films, and Indeed, titled "Corpse Fishing," premiering at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival. Additionally, she production managed and associate produced a trans pilot with Emmy-nominated writer/director/actress Rain Valdez as director. She’s a recent MFA graduate from the AFI Conservatory’s Producing Fellowship, where her thesis film was awarded a production grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
 

Originally from Istanbul, she pursued her passion for filmmaking by moving to the United States in 2014. She began her journey at the prestigious boarding arts high school, Idyllwild Arts Academy, and completed her BFA in Film Production at Chapman University. Recently, she received the "Ataturk Youth Award 2024" from the Ataturk Society of America, a Turkish non-profit organization.