Draft:Gazelle (2025 film)
| Submission declined on 19 October 2025 by Qcne (talk). This submission's references do not show that the subject qualifies for a Wikipedia article—that is, they do not show significant coverage (not just passing mentions) about the subject in published, reliable, secondary sources that are independent of the subject (see the guidelines on the notability of films). Before any resubmission, additional references meeting these criteria should be added (see technical help and learn about mistakes to avoid when addressing this issue). If no additional references exist, the subject is not suitable for Wikipedia.
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Comment: I don't think this quite yet meets WP:NFILM - but likely will once a few more reviews come out in the next few weeks. qcne (talk) 21:31, 19 October 2025 (UTC)
- Comment: The title of this draft either has been disambiguated or will need to be disambiguated for acceptance.If the title of this draft has been disambiguated, submitters and reviewers are asked to check the disambiguated title to see if it is the most useful disambiguation, and, if necessary, rename this draft. If this draft is accepted, the disambiguation page will need to be edited. Either an entry will need to be added, or an entry will need to be revised. Please do not edit the disambiguation unless you are accepting this draft.The disambiguation page for the primary name is Gazelle (disambiguation).You may ask for advice about disambiguation at the Teahouse. Robert McClenon (talk) 09:19, 19 October 2025 (UTC)
| Gazelle | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Nadir Sarıbacak Samy Pioneer (Selman) |
| Written by | Nadir Sarıbacak Ayhan Hulagu |
| Produced by | Mehmet Tözün Kenan Baysal Ender Zirekoğlu |
| Starring | Nadir Sarıbacak Abraham Taylor Faysal Ahmed Ziad Alezabi Salem Hadeed Emine Bayındır Sare Aydoğan Ayhan Hulagu Setty Brosevelt Remzi Akman Ibrahim Traore Desi Waters Mia del Giudice Brittany Vicars Paulina Hill Bill Timoney Dan Becker |
| Cinematography | Lasse Ulvedal Tolbøll, DFF |
| Edited by | Samy Pioneer |
| Music by | Ichika Kanagawa |
Production companies | Roaring Cat Films in association with ArtVertora Production |
Release dates |
2026 (United States) |
Running time | 100 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Languages | English Turkish |
Gazelle is a 2025 American independent drama film directed by Nadir Sarıbacak and Samy Pioneer in their feature directorial debuts, and written by Sarıbacak and Ayhan Hulagu. The film stars Sarıbacak as Yakup, a Turkish music teacher who migrates to New York after political unrest in Turkey, and follows his attempt to reunite with his wife and daughter.
The film premiered at the 2025 Vancouver International Film Festival in the Vanguard program,[1][2] and is scheduled for its U.S. premiere at the Chicago International Film Festival later the same year.[3] The film was also featured in ReadRange's *Vanguard 2025 Preview*, highlighting it among the notable selections of the festival.[4]
Plot
[edit]Yakup, a music teacher from Turkey, relocates to New York after political turmoil forces him into exile. Alone in the United States, he struggles to bring his wife Ayşe and daughter Neşe to safety. His lawyer warns that legal reunification could take years, leaving Yakup torn between waiting and taking the risk of illegal migration. To fund the journey, he works multiple jobs while secretly arranging with a smuggler. His sacrifices strain his mental health and family ties, and just as he convinces Ayşe to attempt the dangerous passage, her sudden arrest upends everything.[1]
Cast
[edit]- Nadir Sarıbacak as Yakup
- Abraham Taylor as Hakim
- Faysal Ahmed as Ahmed
- Ziad Alezabi as Omar
- Salem Hadeed as Ammi
- Emine Bayındır as Ayşe
- Sare Aydoğan as Neşe
- Ayhan Hulagu as Adem
- Setty Brosevelt as Naif
- Remzi Akman as Azad
- Ibrahim Traore as Varun
- Desi Waters as Zeenat
- Mia del Giudice as Malikah
- Brittany Vicars as Lawyer
- Paulina Hill as Secretary at Taner’s Office
- Bill Timoney as Officer Derek
- Dan Becker as Officer James
- Additional cast includes Alya Özgün, Nalan Demircan, Mustafa Ali, Stylianos Psarogiannis, Lauryn Medina, and others.[5]
Production
[edit]Gazelle was produced by Roaring Cat Films in association with ArtVertora Production. The producers are Mehmet Tözün, Kenan Baysal, and Ender Zirekoğlu, with Ömer Faruk Gündüz serving as executive producer.
The screenplay was written by Nadir Sarıbacak and Ayhan Hulagu, with Sarıbacak also starring as the lead. Cinematography was handled by Lasse Ulvedal Tolbøll, DFF. Editing was completed by co-director Samy Pioneer, and the original score was composed by Ichika Kanagawa.
Casting was led by Vivian Shamma, with production design by Lorenza Astengo Fefer, art direction by Kelvin Pater, and costume design by Aaron Crosby. Sound design was supervised by Sahand Nikoukar with additional work by Nathan Ruyle. Visual effects were overseen by Stephen Burchell, with finishing completed at Company 3 under colorist Patrick Devine.[6]
Release
[edit]The film had its world premiere on October 3, 2025, at the Vancouver International Film Festival in the Vanguard section,[1][2][4] and will hold its U.S. premiere at the Chicago International Film Festival on October 15, 2025.[3] Following its U.S. premiere, Peliplat published an interview with Nadir Sarıbacak discussing the film’s emotional foundation and themes of exile and belonging.[7]
Festival circuit
[edit]Following its premieres at VIFF and CIFF, Gazelle is expected to continue its international festival run through late 2025 and early 2026.[1][3]
Reception
[edit]Writing for Pancouver, Adrian Mack praised Nadir Sarıbacak’s performance, describing it as “compelling from start to finish.”[8] In T24, Turkish critic Ayşe Acar described Gazelle as “a psychological drama that every migrant and exile should see,” commending its direction and emotional realism.[9] The film’s inclusion in ReadRange's *Vanguard 2025 Preview* was noted as one of the key highlights of the festival’s selection.[4]
Accolades
[edit]Gazelle won the Vanguard Audience Award at the 2025 Vancouver International Film Festival.[10]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Gazelle". Vancouver International Film Festival. VIFF. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ^ a b "Ayhan Hulagu ve Nadir Sarıbacak'ın yazdığı Gazelle, Vancouver Film Festivalinde". Sosyalkafa (in Turkish). 29 August 2025. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ a b c "Gazelle". Chicago International Film Festival. Chicago IFF. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ^ a b c "VIFF Vanguard 2025 Preview". ReadRange. 30 September 2025. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
- ^ Gazelle at IMDb
- ^ Gazelle Full Cast and Crew on IMDb
- ^ "VIFF 25: The Bound Gazelle — An Interview". Peliplat. 10 October 2025. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
- ^ Mack, Adrian (2 October 2025). "VIFF 2025: Nadir Sarıbacak's compelling performance carries Gazelle from start to finish". Pancouver. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ Acar, Ayşe (12 October 2025). "Gazelle: Her göçmenin, her sürgündekinin izlemesi gereken psikolojik bir gerilim". T24 (in Turkish). Retrieved 19 October 2025.
- ^ "VIFF 2025 Audience Awards". Vancouver International Film Festival. VIFF. 19 October 2025. Retrieved 19 October 2025.