Onur Karahan

Onur's academic journey began at the University of Ghent, where he studied Communication Sciences before completing his Bachelor's degree in Radio, Television and Cinema. He completed his Master's degree at Istanbul University in 2019, with a thesis focusing on "the cinema of Martin Scorsese in the context of violence and postmodernism." His Ph.D. thesis focuses on the digital transformation within the film industry, exploring the dynamics of Turkish and European film production, distribution, and exhibition practices. Moreover, as part of his PhD studies, he participated in an exchange programme at the University of Perugia, Italy. Before joining the imec-SMIT, he has worked as a research assistant at Istanbul University and contributed as an assistant editor at an academic journal Connectist. 

His research focuses on exploring the implications of digital transformation in the film industry, digital storytelling and film narratives, and conducting film analysis. He seeks to uncover the evolving landscape of cinema in the digital age, examining how technological advances are shaping  the business models and storytelling techniques and narrative structures within the film medium.

In 2024 joined our team as a visiting researcher, where he is involved in the CresCine project (Horizon Europe). This project aims to enhance the international competitiveness of small film industries in European markets by focusing on film production, distribution, and exhibition practices in the context of digital transformation.