Takim (The Team) from KARGA SEVEN PICTURES will premiere in the US at the upcoming tenth anniversary of the Dallas International Film Festival. The film is directed by Karga co-founder, Emre Sahin and is the second feature for the production company known for such hit series as the Travel Channel’s Booze Traveler, History Channel’s Hunting Hitler and the Emmy-nominated Got Your 6 for MTV.
Set and filmed in Istanbul, Takim centers around a misfit group of street soccer players who come together in hopes of winning a tournament to raise enough money to save their soccer pitch from ruthless developers. The story is loosely based on the very real urban phenomenon happening in Turkey today as corrupt construction giants push out poor families and destroy their neighborhoods to build skyscrapers and commercial buildings.
Takim is the second feature by writer / director, Emre Sahin who was named by Variety in 2010 as a “multi-hyphenate talent to watch.” Sahin's first feature, 40, made its North American debut at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2011. Sahin is also one of the Principals and Executive Producers at Karga Seven Pictures, a Los Angeles based production company with a satellite office in Istanbul, Turkey specializing in non-fiction television, theatrical feature films and commercials.
“Soccer and movies are two of the strongest forces that transcend borders, ethnicity, country or religion,” said Sahin. "When we shot The Team half a world away in Istanbul it was with the goal to bring people together regardless of their backgrounds; to serve as a bridge between people. Now, it’s an honor to hold our US premiere at the Dallas International Film Festival, in a city with a great tradition of soccer and filmmaking. I am proud to share our story of love, friendship and of course, soccer with the people of Dallas.”
Karga Principal and Executive Producer Kelly McPherson who serves as a Producer on Takim said, “I'm very excited to be coming home for the US premiere of our new film at the DIFF. Stuffing envelopes as a USA Film Festival intern back in 1986, I never imagined my ticket back to Dallas would come 30 years later in the form of a Turkish indie about kids playing street soccer in the slums of Istanbul. Life and futbol are stranger than fiction.” McPherson is a graduate of North Mesquite High School and The University of Texas.
Takim (The Team) premieres at DIFF on Sunday, April 17 at 2:30p.m. at the Angelika Dallas and screens again at 1:30p.m. on Monday, April 18, also at the Angelika. Director Emre Sahin and Executive Producers Kelly McPherson and Sarah Wetherbee will be in attendance at the festival and available for interviews. View the trailer for the film, or purchase tickets here: http://secure.dallasfilm.org/festivalfeature/id/24314848456639604
