Umay Işık is a Kurdish filmmaker and photographer based in Los Angeles.. He graduated with a degree in Photography and Video and has spent the past several years traveling across countries to document stories of culture, identity, and resilience. His debut short documentary Return to Poverty (2020), a heartfelt portrait of his grandmother’s return to traditional life, marked the beginning of his career in nonfiction storytelling. While continuing his university studies, he worked on a range of film and photography projects, shaping a style that blends poetic imagery with grounded realism. In 2023, he completed his first feature-length documentary How Far Can We Go, following a nomadic couple’s journey through Anatolia and Georgia. Umay’s work reflects a deep curiosity for the world and a commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices through visual storytelling.