HERMIT & the FOOL

We believe the most resonant stories exist in the crack. Our identity is built around exploring that interstice — the fertile ground where cultures intersect, and characters confront the grey areas of humanity.

We love it when cinema is psychologically deep and philosophically rich, and fuses the genre momentum with arthouse aesthetics.

At HERMIT & the FOOL, we craft eccentric narratives that challenge, captivate, and viscerally entertain a global audience, hungry for intelligent and audacious filmmaking.

Up Next

projects in development & works in progress

MIRA DREAMS OF MUSHROOMS

FEATURE FILM - Psychological Horror / Folk Fantasy / Culinary Thriller

LOGLINE: 19-year-old female chef, Mira, escapes the meat-heavy restaurant legacy imposed by her family, only to fall into a crueller culinary environment and a web of dangerous neighbours in her new building. When the arrival of a mystical husky blurs the line between reality and illusion, Mira must embark on a transformative journey through a haunted forest to forge her personal and professional reinvention.

STATUS: Late development with a completed screenplay.

Awarded Script Development Funding by the Turkish Ministry of Culture, the project was subsequently selected for the Film Talent Academy in Linz and showcased at the 2025 Marché du Film as part of the Lab, where it garnered significant industry interest."

DIRECTOR: Burak OĞUZ-SAGUNER

BETWEEN TWO WORLDS

FEATURE DOCUMENTARY

LOGLINE:

A portrait of a Laz minority village divided by the SARPI border between modern-day Türkiye and Georgia, exploring the lives of a community existing in the literal interstice between two nations and identities.

STATUS: Post-Production.

The project has received Production Funding from the Turkish Ministry of Culture.

DIRECTOR: Mert GÜNCÜER

PUPA

FEATURE - Psychological Horror / Folk Fantasy / Culinary Thriller

CONCEPT:

A follow-up to MIRA DREAMS OF MUSHROOMS, this film follows Mira’s journey as she joins a prestigious culinary institute on a secluded Mediterranean island, continuing her search for self-discovery in a new, high-pressure environment.

STATUS: Early development.

DEPART-ARRIVE-SUSPEND

FEATURE - Dark Comedy / Thriller

LOGLINE:

A semi-biographical tale about an immigrant’s disorienting and often absurd experience of living between different cultures and countries, blending dark comedy with suspense.

STATUS: Early development.

About Us

Burak OGUZ-SAGUNER

An award-winning writer-director and producer, Burak is a graduate of Australian Film Radio & Television School — AFTRS. His works were screened at prestigious festivals such as the Berlinale, New York FF, and Thessaloniki IFF. His cinematography on Driftwood Dustmites won Best Achievement in Cinematography at the Oscar-qualifying St Kilda FF.

Burak's filmography includes IN AUTUMN, which was nominated for the Short Grand Prix at the Warsaw Film Festival. His acclaimed short, Salça, has been screened at over 30 festivals and won more than a dozen awards including Best Film at the 34th Bamberger Kurzfilmtage.

Burak is now developing his debut feature, MIRA DREAMS OF MUSHROOMS, expanding on this award-winning short. The project has already secured development funding from the Turkish Ministry of Culture and was selected for the Film Talent Academy-Linz.Formerly known as MIRA COOKS SALÇA, MIRA DREAMS OF MUSHROOMS drew significant interest during the pitch session at the 2025 Marché du Film as part of this Lab.

Mert GÜNCÜER

Mert Güncüer is a Turkish screenwriter, producer and director with a Master's degree in Cinema from Başkent University. His work is noted for its international scope, having collaborated with artists from around the world at the EU-supported ‘Luksuz Produkcija’.

After his short films gained significant traction on the international festival circuit, Mert’s debut feature documentary about the life of revolutionary musician Fuat Saka, MISINA: DIARY OF AN EXILE, world-premiered at the 44th IKSV Istanbul Film Festival and was acquired by the MUBI.

His second documentary feature, BETWEEN TWO WORLDS, which is co-produced by Burak Oguz-Saguner with the support of the Turkish Ministry of Culture, is in the late stages of post-production.

In addition to BETWEEN TWO WORLDS, Mert and Burak have a long-standing creative partnership, with Mert taking on the responsibility as the co-producer of Burak's acclaimed short films ONE THIRD OF A SECOND and SALÇA/BITTER.