Turkish TV Festival: Insights from Eccho Rights Director Handan Özkubat and Özge Özpirinçci

Presented by TV Latina and World Screen, the Turkish TV Festival emerges as a virtual event about Turkish content with global markets with a focus on Latin America, the U.S. Hispanic market, and Iberia.

Elizabeth Bowen-Tombari from TV Latina, conducted an interview with Handan Özkubat, Director of Turkish Drama from Eccho Rights, and lead actress Özge Özpirinçci from the series I Am Mother as a part of the festival.

Handan Özkubat: “We know what clients want.”

Özkubat emphasized the growing demand for female-oriented and empowered women’s stories among buyers, noting their effectiveness as exemplary narratives.

Despite rising production costs globally, Turkish drama remains profitable due to its increasing demand on a daily basis. She also explained that Eccho Rights was the first to sell Turkish series to Sweden and Finland, and the high demand for format rights, especially from the USA market.

Özge Özpirinçci shared insights into her approach as an actress when selecting roles. Özpirinçci emphasized the importance of a full-package including the director, script, and cast. She expressed that when all elements align, success becomes inevitable.

Özge Özpirinçci: “The main thing that attracted me to Karsu was her relationship with her own mother.”

Regarding her portrayal of Karsu in I Am Mother, Özpirinçci revealed her immediate connection with the script when Saner Ayar sent it to her, seeing it as a projection of her life and a source of personal healing.

Discussing the global success of I Am Mother, Özpirinçci expressed her gratitude as people abroad approach her about the show, highlighting its great impact and her happiness in contributing to it.

Handan Özkubat announced their plans to move five series into the new season at Turkish TV Festival. Redemption, Golden Boy, I Am Mother, Winds of Love, and Behind the Veil will continue into the new season alongside three new titles.

Barış Arduç’s New Project was Announced at Turkish TV Festival

One of these titles will feature Barış Arduç in collaboration with O3 Media, which Handan Özkubat noted, based on her experience, will be very popular.