Emre Sahin

Biography

Emre Şahin was born in 1976 in Istanbul, Turkey, to Turkish and American parents. He is an award-winning Turkish-American film and television director, producer, editor, and cinematographer who works between Los Angeles and Istanbul. He studied Television and Film at Emerson College in Boston before moving to Los Angeles, where he began directing and editing documentary and reality television programs for networks including ABC, MTV, VH1, and the History Channel.

Şahin gained early recognition with his short film Canta, which screened at more than 30 international film festivals and received several awards, including Best Cinematography at the Beverly Hills Film Festival and the Audience Choice Award at the West Chester Film Festival.

In 2007, he co-created, directed, and executive produced the History Channel series Cities of the Underworld. The success of the series led him to co-found Karga Seven Pictures in 2008, where he worked on numerous documentary and television productions for major international networks.

As a filmmaker, Şahin wrote, directed, and edited the feature film 40 (2009), which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and earned a Special Jury Mention at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. He later became widely known for Rise of Empires: Ottoman (2020–2022), serving as director and executive producer on the historical docudrama about Sultan Mehmed II and the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople.

His other notable credits include Midnight at the Pera Palace (2022), Testament: The Story of Moses (2024), Hunting Hitler, and Umami (2025). His career has earned several awards and nominations, including recognition at the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival.