Lara Köse

Lara Köse is a Turkish-Australian writer, director and editor based in Melbourne. She is a graduate of Swinburne University and the Victorian College of the Arts. Her VCA graduate short film ‘Crush’ screened in festivals internationally and was nominated for an Australian Screen Editors award. In 2017, Lara's script for 'KAYA' won the coveted Lexus Australia short film fellowship presented by Sydney Film Festival. The film is an exploration of her Alevi heritage - Turkey's largest religious minority. It premiered at the 2018 Sydney Film Festival and screened at Melbourne International Film Festival where Lara participated in the prestigious Accelerator Lab for emerging Australian directors. Her children's short film ‘Yaz Queens’, was commissioned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and premiered on television and on demand in November 2022, marking a significant career milestone. She has completed a number of professional directing placements, in 2018 on feature film ‘Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears’, supported by Screen Australia, in 2022 on iconic Australian TV series ‘Neighbours’, and most recently on ABC's ‘Turn Up The Volume’ in 2023. Lara is now independently directing episodes for Fremantle Media's ‘Neighbours’. Her latest short film ‘You Are My Tomorrow’, supported by the City of Yarra, will be released in 2024. Lara is drawn to telling stories about women, and deals with themes of identity and culture. She believes films should enter your sense of self and become a part of your emotional wardrobe.