Cinema director,
scenarist (B. 9 December 1926, Mersin – D. 6 May 2006, Istanbul). He completed
his high school education in Mersin. Lise
öğrenimini Mersin’de tamamladı. Atıf Yılmaz married actress Nurhan Nur and scenarist
Ayşe Şasa but divorced, his third wife is the actress Deniz Türkali, daughter
of Vedat Türkali. He started his studies in Istanbul University Faculty of Law but quit it
incomplete and graduated from Fine Arts Academy Department of Painting. He
worked on paintings with Painter Nuri İyem. He joined Tavanarası
Ressamlar Topluluğu (Loft Painters Association) (1947).
Within the same year he started to write articles on cinema in Beş Sanat journal. He worked as a movie
critic, painter and scenarist for a while. Together with Painter Nuri Abaç, he
drew movie posters. After working as vice director in two movies he started his
director’s career with his first movie in 1951 titled “Kanlı Feryat”.
After that date, he directed more than hundred movies. He contributed to the raise
of famous directors such as Zeki Ökten, Yılmaz Güney, Şerif Gören, Ali
Özgentürk and Halit Refiğ.
His movies received
numerous awards in national and international festivals. Atıf Yılmaz was one of
the first owners of Life-Time Honorary Award in the 33rd Antalya
Altın Portakal Film Festival and he was granted Honorary PhD in Arts by
Hacettepe University in 1991. He narrated his memories in his book Bir
Sinemacının Anıları (1991). After he passed away he was inhumed to
Zincirlikuyu Cemetery.
Mezarımı Taştan Oyun (1951), Hıçkırık (1953), Kadın Severse (1955), Ala Geyik (1959), Suçlu (1960), Dolandırıcılar Şahı (1960), Keşanlı Ali Destanı (1964), Ah Güzel İstanbul (1966), Ölüm Tarlası (1966), Kozanoğlu (1967), Cemile (1968), Köroğlu (1968), Aşktan da Üstün (1970), Güllü (1971), Cemo (1972), Utanç (1972 ), Zavallılar (1974), Kuma (1974), Salako (1974), Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalım (1977), Kibar Feyzo (1978), Talihli Amele (1980), Mine ( 1982), Düş Gezginleri (1992), Tatlı Betüş (1993), Eylül Fırtınası (1999), Eğreti Gelin (2004).
