Emir Cakaroz

Education

• MFA, Film, UW-Milwaukee, 2009
• MA, Cinema Studies, Anadolu University, Turkey, 2008
• BA, Cinema and Television, Anadolu University, Turkey, 2004

Biography

Emir Cakaroz is a filmmaker whose work combines participative observation with narrative construction. He views filmmaking as a site of dynamic exchange, where filmmaker and participants co-create meaning through interaction and dialogue. Drawing on his personal history, Emir explores sociopolitical themes such as immigration, cultural adaptation, belonging, and social justice, weaving his experiences seamlessly into the broader narrative.

He has taught film production at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, Lake Forest College, and Marquette University’s Educational Opportunity Program. His most recent film, Americans Smell Good (2024), was featured at numerous venues, including the International Ethnographic Film Festival of Quebec, the Neville Public Museum through the Green Bay Film Society, the Wisconsin Film Festival, and the Kansas City Underground Film Festival.

Currently, Emir is working on a new film titled Hello, Mr. Professor, which explores higher education through the perspectives of part-time instructors, college students, and an educator dedicated to preparing low-income, first-generation students for college.