French Riviera Film Festival

International producer, director and entrepreneur, Ali M. Aksu is the executive producer of several groundbreaking projects, including the first-ever Hollywood feature film to cast digital media talent that was distributed by Universal Studios. In 2020, he founded FilmCapital.io, a community focused Hollywood crowdfunding platform, and most recently, Auteur Academy, an educational platform to empower independent filmmakers. Aksu is the Southern California Young Professionals Ambassador at the United Nations Association of America.

Recently, Aksu was a featured speaker at the fourth annual Global Entertainment Showcase, a virtual event that was watched by more than 3,000 viewers from around the globe. The event inspired a dynamic discussion with a truly global panel, featuring Aksu, along with award-winning filmmaker Anna Fishbeyn live from the United States, filmmaker Eva Lanska and German American producer Christina Rose live from Cannes, filmmaker/producer Bertrand Norman live from Paris, and Rehna Azim, awards critic of Moviemarker Magazine, moderating from the United Kingdom.

Event highlights: 

We had a chance to interview Ali Aksu after the event.

What is Auteur Academy all about?

Auteur Academy is a digital accelerator program designed for all content makers. The model is similar to the famous Silicon Valley startup accelerator model. The student members go through a world class learning experience featuring some of the greatest names in the Hollywood industry. 

What are some of your latest film projects?

I am producing an amazing feature film titled Alaska. It’s a psychological thriller shooting in Los Angeles and features some extraordinary talent with whom I am excited to work.  

What is the best professional advice you ever received and who was it given by?

Scooter Braun would always tell me to “keep swinging.” It’s a super simple piece of advice but it comes in handy when you really have to keep going in the times of hardship and ambiguity. It’s important to note that most of the successful entrepreneurs have tried and failed several times before their big breakthrough. 

Where do you see yourself in few years?

I see myself as the biggest advocate of Conscious Media in the Hollywood system. I can’t wait to disrupt the outdated industry structures, one by one. 

How do you see the film industry changing in the next five years?

Traditional structures that depend on several men making decisions will change drastically. We will see the audiences deciding on what to see next on the screen. Crowdfunding will be vital. Also, Blockchain technologies will be able to disrupt the distribution arms by empowering the content creators and their audiences, instead of the middlemen. Other exponential technologies like AI (artificial intelligence) will play an important role in pre-determining existing audiences. 

How has your international perspective helped you on your professional journey?

My global citizen perspective helps me easily understand and empathize with individuals from all backgrounds. It helps me navigate rooms I step in more easily. I read a lot and I travel a lot. 

Who is one person with whom you would like to have lunch and why? 

I’d like to have lunch with Jack Ma. His emphasis on the human factor and compassion as a businessman is a merit that I find is close to my father’s.