NIRA BOZKURT STARTS AS AI OFFICER AT FABW

NEW STRATEGIC STAFF UNIT ON TACKLING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

The turning point is here: applications of artificial intelligence (AI) are transforming work and everyday life at a breathtaking pace. Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg has responded to this by setting up a staff unit for AI directly under the management. Today, on September 15, Nira Bozkurt starts in her new position.

“Artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing the world of film and media,” says Dr. Andreas Bareiß, managing director of FABW. "With the creation of the AI officer staff unit, which is directly affiliated with the management, we are specifically promoting the future-oriented development of the Filmakademie in teaching, administration, and applied research - strategically controlled and ethically sound. Thanks to her creative background, her technological understanding, and her excellent network, Nira is the ideal candidate for this position. I am very much looking forward to working with her. Welcome to the team and welcome back to the Länd!"

Nira Bozkurt, who grew up in Bietigheim near Ludwigsburg, has been working with extended reality (XR) and AI for immersive storytelling since 2016. Since 2022, she has been intensively engaged with the potential and risks of generative AI, lecturing on AI tools at film schools and speaking about them at international conferences. “We are in the midst of a radical transformation,” she says. “Now it's up to us how we deal with it, how we help shape it, how we preserve creativity and support European film culture.”

At FABW, Nira Bozkurt would like to start by offering AI skills training to bring all students and staff up to speed. “There are many preconceptions about AI,” she explains. “I want to create a basic understanding of what we are dealing with here. How do AI tools work? What results can I expect when I use them? What are the possibilities? Where are the limits? What happens to my data? What data was used for training? Where does intellectual property theft begin?”

Nira Bozkurt wants to develop an ethical framework for AI application at FABW, with licenced models and alternatives to Big Tech. She emphasises the opportunities that the technology brings: “I can imagine that AI will create new markets for independent filmmakers who are skilled in their craft and can use AI tools well,” she explains. “For me, the benchmark is whether I can realise my artistic vision with it. If I compromise and use an image just because I can't create another one, then AI takes over. It's very important to constantly question whether the results are really what you want.”

“Nira is perfect for this role,” says Prof. Volker Helzle, Head of Research & Development (R&D) at FABW´s Animationsinstitut, where Nira Bozkurt has been a guest lecturer since 2022. "She brings practical knowledge from various areas of technology that have a direct impact on the creative industries. The current upheaval has the potential to fundamentally change filmmaking. The R&D team is looking forward to working closely with Nira in shaping the future!"

Returning to her Swabian homeland is not difficult for the long-time Berlin resident with Turkish roots: “I was already a guest lecturer here, I have family in Bietigheim and friends in and around Stuttgart,” says Nira Bozkurt, whose sister, Fazilet Bozkurt-Babur, is a city councilor in Bietigheim. “And I missed the Swabian cordiality!”

PERSONAL INFORMATION

• Nira Bozkurt studied computer science, law, and screenwriting & directing.
  
  
• She is an author, producer, creative lead, and AI expert.
  
  
• As Creative Lead Germany at Pocket FM, two of her audio series achieved over 34 million plays within a few months and established themselves as the platform's most successful German-language productions. She completed the MIDPOINT × Netflix Writers' Room programme and co-created the series LALE LOVE (2023) for UFA and Netflix.
  
  
• For the Austrian film production company Amiluxfilm, she produced the award-winning feature film EINE SACHE DER PERSPEKTIVE (A matter of perspective, 2020), which received over 200 awards worldwide, as well as the VR film BALLAVITA (2018), which celebrated its world premiere at the Biennale di Venezia. She also built up the company's international network and collaborated with Sony Interactive Entertainment and HTC Vive.
  
  
• Nira Bozkurt has been an AI & XR speaker at international conferences, film festivals, and markets, including the Cannes Film Festival, the SXSW Film Festival (Germanhaus) in Austin, and the Infinity Film Festival in Los Angeles. She has also advised production companies and film institutions on the integration of AI.
  
  
• Since the winter semester of 2022, she has been a guest lecturer at FABW´s Animationsinstitut and has also lectured at other film schools on AI tools for storytelling and film production.