9th New York Kurdish Film Festival

September 20-25, 2025

Village East by Angelika
New York, NY

9TH EDITION

New York Kurdish Film Festival

Sept 20-25, 2025

Village East by Angelika, New York, NY 10003

Our Motto

every Kurd,
every story

Our Theme

inclusivity
within Kurdish
nation

New York Kurdish Film Festival

An Inclusive Celebration of Kurdish Identity

Join us as we uplift every voice, story, and identity.

Now in its 9th edition, the New York Kurdish Film Festival brings together Kurdish filmmakers, artists, and audiences from around the world to celebrate powerful storytelling across borders. This year’s theme, “Inclusive. Bold. Unfiltered.” reflects our deep belief that Kurdish stories belong to everyone.

Festival at a glance

6 Days

September 20-25, 2025

27 Films

From all parts of Kurdistan

NYC

Village East by Angelika

Tickets

Available Now

Subtitles

All films subtitled in English

Community

Kurdish culture in motion

A Glimpse at the Lineup

Return to Poverty

Short Documentary
Director: Uman Işik
Year: 2021

Mediha

Feature Documentary
Director: Director: Hasan Oswald
Year: 2023

Against Forgetting

Short Documentary
Director: Director: Azad Azizyan
Year: 2024

Nothing But the Truth

Short Fiction
Director: Director: Hamoun Dolatshahi
Year: 2024

The Doll That Didn’t Die

Student
Director: Director: Nilgoon Askari
Year: 2024

Name Me Lawand

Feature Documentary
Director: Director: Edward Lovelace
Year: 2022

What Happened

Short Fiction
Director: Director: Rebar Rabar Mawlood
Year: 2024

Sweet Border

Short Fiction
Director: Director: Hadi Ahmadi
Year: 2024

All the Mountains Give

Feature Documentary
Director: Director: Arash Rakhsha
Year: 2023

The Key

Student Film
Director: Sharo Shorsh Mohammed
Year: 2024

Hope

Feature Fiction
Director: Director: Orhan İnce
Year: 2024

The Doll That Didn’t Die

Student
Director: Director: Nilgoon Askari
Year: 2024

Happy End

Short Fiction
Director: Hossein Firouzeh
Year: 2025

Mother Love

Short Fiction
Director: Director: Numan Acar
Year: 2024

More about NYKFF

The New York Kurdish Film Festival, established in 2017, takes place every fall over several days. In recent years, the festival’s venue has been the landmark theater Village East by Angelika, located in Manhattan’s East Village.  

The festival’s program typically features a mix of short and feature-length films, dramas, documentaries, and animations, from diverse regions of Kurdistan. The films’ directors may be either Kurdish or non-Kurdish. Many of the films have their American premieres here.

Every year the festival’s offerings attract Kurdish-American and non-Kurdish participants alike. Past editions have also offered live music, dance performances, and author talks.