Based in Asia. Filming the World.

A unique, multi-award winning film that captures all the in-cockpit drama and excitement of the Turkish Air Force supersonic aerobatic team, the Turk Yildizlari or Turkish Stars. The film was made to celebrate to 90th anniversary of the Turkish Air Force, the second oldest air force in the world.

In the city of Istanbul Demir, a little eight-year old boy with the nickname "Pilot", harbours a passion for flight. His bedroom walls are adorned with model planes, books and posters of jet pilots that reflect his childhood fascination and his computer is often connected to the web site of his local heroes, the supersonic, top-gun, aerobatic pilots of the Turkish Stars.

One day his E mail message to their site is answered by "Leader", the commanding officer and senior pilot of his dream team. "Leader" quickly realises that Demir's passion is more than a passing phase and decides to reward him for his dedication with an invitation to come and "experience" flight with the pilots of the Turkish Stars.

The film then "transports" the little Istanbul boy into a real cockpit of the Northrop F5 Tiger aircraft for the ride of his life, with the heroes of his dreams.

As DP of the film, aerial expert Laurie K. Gilbert had to undergo extreme pilot centerfuge training up to 8.9G to be able to fly and the shoot the 60 hrs of motion picture in-cockpit material he shot all over Turkey during his eight week shoot with the pilots of the Turkish Stars.  It is probably the most challenging material he has ever had to shoot in his entire career as a cinematographer.

The final film was nominated for "Best Cinematography", "Best Foreign Short Film" and was winner of "Best Children's Short Film" at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival 2001. It is dedicated to the director, Ahmet Kayacik who lost his life in an air crash during the post-production.