The NYKCC announced the first residency program on Kurdish cinema  in New York City, that took place on September 25-30, 2026. Consisting of lectures and workshops by experts in thinking, making, and distributing Kurdish films, the Kurdish Cinema Residency Program was open to participants who work in Kurdish films or who think about and through Kurdish films.

The opening lecture "The Art of Story Seeking"  was given by İlisa Barbash on September 25, followed by sessions on Kurdish storytelling, memory, documentation, economics, and the politics of the Kurdish film industry running till September 30, 2026.