New York Kurdish Film Festival marks 10th edition in Manhattan

The New York Kurdish Film Festival returns to Village East by Angelika from Sept. 29-Oct. 4, 2026, with six days of screenings, talks and cultural events centered on Kurdish cinema. A new Kurdish Cinema Residency Program begins Sept. 25, extending the festival’s focus on film education, industry discussion and community building.

Why it matters: - NYKFF10 marks a decade of bringing Kurdish films, filmmakers and culture to New York audiences. - The festival and its new residency program create a longer runway for Kurdish artists, students and industry voices to connect with U.S. audiences and each other. - The 10th edition also spotlights women’s contributions to Kurdish cinema and the wider Kurdish diaspora.

What happened: - The New York Kurdish Film Festival will run Sept. 29-Oct. 4, 2026, at Village East by Angelika Theatre in Manhattan. - The festival is presented by the New York Kurdish Cultural Center. - NYKFF10 uses the theme “Woven Across Borders, United Through Cinema.” - The festival will include screenings, filmmaker conversations, panel discussions and cultural events. - The lineup will span feature and short fiction, feature and short documentaries, animation, experimental film, student films and mobile-phone films. - The festival opens Tuesday, Sept. 29, with an opening-night reception at Village East by Angelika Theatre. - The opening-night event will include Kurdish food from Akdeniz Restaurant. - The opening film and full opening-night program will be announced later with the complete festival schedule. - Tickets are on sale now through festival tickets. - More festival details are available at the festival page.

The details: - NYKFF began in 2017 and has grown into a New York platform for Kurdish cinema. - The festival focuses on stories about culture, identity, family, history, displacement, conflict, memory, humor, resilience and everyday life. - Filmmaker discussions and audience Q&As are planned throughout the festival. - Panels and cultural conversations will address Kurdish cinema, storytelling, identity, artistic expression and the future of the Kurdish film industry. - NYKFF10 will honor Kurdish filmmaker Yılmaz Güney for his contribution to Kurdish cinema. - A special Jina Amini Day will highlight female filmmakers and women’s contributions to Kurdish storytelling and cinema. - Author Şener Özmen will participate, adding a literary perspective to the festival’s programming. - The opening-night reception is intended to gather filmmakers, artists, supporters, Kurdish community members, invited guests, media and festival audiences.

Between the lines: - The festival is positioning Kurdish cinema as both an artistic showcase and a platform for cultural visibility. - The residency suggests NYKCC wants to move beyond screening films and build a deeper professional network around Kurdish cinema in New York. - The overlap between the residency and the festival ties film study, production and public exhibition into one event window. - The theme reflects the reality of Kurdish life and art crossing borders while remaining culturally connected.

What's next: - NYKCC will announce the complete film lineup, screening schedule, filmmaker appearances, panels, special events and additional guests before the festival. - The Kurdish Cinema Residency Program runs Sept. 25-30, 2026, with sessions beginning with “The Art of Story Seeking” by İlisa Barbash. - The residency is hybrid and is accepting virtual participants. - Applicants must submit a résumé and motivation letter to info@nykcc.org by Sept. 10, 2026. - The residency will examine Kurdish storytelling, memory, documentation, economics and the politics of the Kurdish film industry. - The festival’s organizers say the 10th edition is meant to celebrate the first decade while building toward the next phase of Kurdish cinema in New York.

The bottom line: - NYKFF10 is expanding from a film festival into a broader cultural and professional hub for Kurdish cinema in New York City.