Nuri Bilge Ceylan was born in Istambul, 1959. After graduating from Engineering Department of Bosphorus University, he studied Film Making for two years at Mimar Sinan University, Istambul. Ceylan's short film Koza (Cocoon) was screened in the Cannes Film Festival in 1995. He received many awards with his debut feature Kasaba (Small Town) and his second feature Mayis Sikintisi (Clouds of May). His third feature Uzak (Distant) received the Grand Prix and award for Best Actor at Cannes 2003, and was praised internationally. His 2006 film Iklimler (Climates) won the FIPRESCI Award at Cannes in 2006 and received international prize by critics and experts. He won the Award for the Best Director in the 2008 Festival de Cannes for his last film, Uç Maymun (Three Monkeys).

Source:
http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/artist/id/10800475.html