Chicago Kurdish Film Festival

The Kurdish Cultural Center of Illinois is proud to present the inaugural Chicago Kurdish Film Festival, a two day celebration of Kurdish culture, heritage, and storytelling through the medium of cinema. This groundbreaking event seeks to immerse and introduce audiences to the richness and diversity of Kurdish narratives.

The festival will showcase a curated selection of narrative and documentary films, both features and shorts, though the eyes of Kurdish filmmakers both in Kurdistan and in the diaspora. This year’s theme is Kurdish history, conflict, traditions, as well as contemporary issues. We invite Kurdish filmmakers to submit their films through August 10th, 2024.

This film festival is a testament to the power of storytelling not only as an art form but as an act of resistance. The compelling personal narratives will give audiences an understanding of Kurdistan with more depth, nuance, and poignance.