Company Summary

Olive Barrel Productions is an independent film company founded by Boston-area graduate students. Emre Safak (director) grew up in Ankara and moved to the U.S. in 1999 to study at Northeastern University. He shot a behind-the-scenes documentary for the Collage dance ensemble, directed by Ahmet Lüleci. Mark Fullmer (screenwriter) teaches writing at Boston College. The company works in association with photographer and film-maker Eugene Scherba (eugenescherba.com).

An original short, "That's Funny, Isn't It?" was completed in July 2006. The film follows the struggles of a standup comedian who shares a low-rent apartment with his burnt-out waitress girlfriend and a self-employed realtor. "That's Funny" explores the boundaries between comedy and tragedy, tracking the downward trajectory of the comedian's act, and the stilted, quirky conversations of the three roommates.

Olive Barrel's upcoming film, "Once There Was, Once There Wasn't," focuses on Turks living in the United States. A dual-language Turkish/English screenplay, the film uses the relationship of a Turkish woman to an American man to juxtapose the two cultures. Some of the film's themes include gender roles in employment and family life, American stereotypes about Islam, immigration, and the myth of the American dream.

"That's Funny, Isn't It" was last screened at the 11th Boston Turkish Festival on November 24, 2006.