Cihad İlbaş is an Istanbul-based filmmaker and film critic with over a decade of experience in documentary filmmaking, audio production, and independent media. His documentaries include Navê te çi ye?, a Kurmanjî Kurdish-language film exploring cultural identity, and his project Dest, which was selected for the Amed International Film Festival film fund. He is currently filming Varto, a documentary about the development of a geothermal power plant in Varto.

Since 2010, he has published film criticism in Turkish newspapers, magazines, and online platforms, exploring cinema as a space of representation and resistance. He is the founder of Ran Media, a multilingual audio production company, and develops projects in Kurdish language technology and independent media.

His practice combines artistic creation with documentary as a tool for testimony, cultural preservation, and marginalized voices. 

Filmography:

• Varto / documentary film / 2026 / director
• Navê te çi ye? / documentary film / 2015 / director

Festivals and Awards:

• Navê te çi ye? / FilmAmed Documentary Film Festival / Documentary Film / Diyarbakır, Turkey / 2015 / Official Selection
• Navê te çi ye? / Ankara Human Rights Film Festival / Documentary Film / Ankara, Turkey / 2015 / Official Selection
• Navê te çi ye? / Mardin Film Festival / Documentary Film / Mardin, Turkey / 2015 / Official Selection