About Me
Actor
Christine Altan began acting over a decade ago and quickly established herself as an integral part of the New England film community, both in front and behind the camera. Christine has since been featured in numerous feature and short films and both local and national commercials. She has also written, directed, and produced multiple award-winning shorts and in 2016 she was the recipient of the Women in Film Fellowship Award through the Shawna Shea Memorial Foundation. In 2018, she went on to become the first New Hampshire chair for Women in Film & Video New England (WIFVNE), an organization dedicated to supporting the accomplishments of women working in the film, video, and new media industries. Christine continues to mentor first-time female filmmakers in the development of their projects. She finds great fulfillment in involving her community and helping others succeed.
Christine is generous in sharing the knowledge she has gained over the years as well as surrounding herself with other industry professionals more experienced than her and in 2017, she founded and facilitated NH Actors Group, a donation-only monthly meetup of actors of all ability, regardless of financial status, with classes being led by Dennis C. Johnson. Christine believes all actors, regardless of their financial means, should have access to solid actor training and a safe space to develop their craft. Other notable accomplishments include Christine winning the 2008 Mrs. New Hampshire America title and going on to compete on live TV in the Mrs. America pageant.
Christine's ethnically ambiguous look comes from her Turkish-American heritage. Born on Incirlik AFB in Adana, Turkey, Christine began her multi-residence travel when she was just shy of 2 years old. Her fondest memories were in Guam, Hawaii, and, later as a teenager, her return to Izmir, Turkey where she spent several years fully immersed in her Turkish heritage, learning the language, history, culture, and Mediterranean cuisine.
Christine spends her free time sketching realistic portraitures, writing, bingeing TV shows such as Dexter and Ozark, cooking Turkish delicacies, and enjoying the great outdoors hiking, kayaking, and in the winter, snowshoeing. Besides being on a film set, her happy places also include the beach, gardens, day trips into the city, and spending time with her family.
Writer
Christine is also a writer and co-wrote and starred in the short film My Pretty Maura, an intense and dark dramatic film that explores the social themes of mental illness and self image. Following this, she wrote, produced, and starred in the short film Threads That Bind Us, a mysterious drama that explores the subjects of loss, trauma (PTSD), and a rare phenomenon called Genetic Sexual Attraction.
In 2017, Christine had her directorial debut with her next short, Namaste: The Film, an Altan Films Production. Unlike her previous works, this film was an unexpectedly uplifting love story. Once again, Christine took her personal experience of loss and love and created a storyline that is inspiring and relatable.
Christine continues to explore compelling stories and is currently developing her next script. She is also available to be contracted for freelance projects and collaborations. Link to writing samples coming soon.
Director
In 2016, Christine was the recipient of the Shawna Shea Memorial Foundation’s Women in Film Fellowship Award. With this award came a stipend and a year-long mentorship with industry professionals for her directorial debut of Namaste: The Film, which she is also writer and producer. The film explores the themes of movement and interconnectedness told through the eyes of multiple couples through various stages and ages of their relationships. The story also reflects the subjects of loss and love. The majority of the film was shot on a Steadicam, mirroring the theme of movement. The professional crew includes Director of Photography Jonathon Millman, an Emmy and Telly award-winning cinematographer and David Frederick, a multi award-winning and Emmy nominated composer. Listen to a sampling of the original Namaste soundtrack here.
Christine gives credit to her success as a first-time director to her actor’s intuition, her involvement in all creative aspects of production, and attention to the finest details. Additionally, she put together a highly professional cast and crew who helped bring her vision to the screen.
Christine takes enormous pride in spotlighting her home state of New Hampshire, especially the Seacoast region. She hopes, in the near future, Hollywood will take notice and, as a result, more major motion pictures will be shot locally, bringing more opportunities to NH actors, filmmakers, and crew.