Tolga Akcayli, a multifaceted individual with a rich cultural heritage, was born in London, England to a Vincentian mother, Beverley Gunn Akcayli, and a Turkish father, Tansal Akcayli.
He spent the first six years of his life in Istanbul, Turkey, where he developed a strong passion for theater and ballet. However, his life took a dramatic turn in 1999 when Istanbul was struck by devastating earthquakes, resulting in the loss of over 40,000 lives. In the aftermath of this tragedy, his parents, seeking a safer environment, relocated the family to the Caribbean, where they divided their time between St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Barbados.
Growing up in the Caribbean, Tolga's creative instincts were nurtured, and he spent most of his early years organizing plays and filming short stories with his siblings and friends using his father's camcorder. At the age of 18, he represented St. Vincent & the Grenadines at the 2012 London Olympics in Swimming, showcasing his athletic prowess.
After the Olympics, Tolga pursued a career in law, where he excelled in designing and conducting mock trials, impressing his classmates with his elaborate scenarios and arguments. Although he initially found success in law, he eventually decided to follow his true passion and enroll in a course at the New York Film Academy.
Upon completing his studies, Tolga convinced his classmates to join him in Barbados to produce a feature film, "Too Lickrish," an award-winning comedy that gained international theatrical distribution and ran for six consecutive weeks in cinemas. This experience not only validated his decision to pursue a career in film but also instilled in him a desire to establish a production company that focuses on Caribbean stories, culture, and history.
Tolga's ultimate goal is to create a production company that can produce narrative, documentary, and TV series that showcase Caribbean art, culture, and history, while generating international revenue and exporting Caribbean stories to a global audience.
