Amsterdam
Koerdisch Film Festival 2024

10, 11 & 12 May
Het Ketelhuis

A multitude of looks at the Kurds and a chronically urgent cinema.

OPENING FILM – DREAM’S GATE – 12/05

Filmmaker Negin Ahmadi travels to the war zone of Kurdistan (Northern Syria) to follow the lives of the women in the YPJ – an all-female Kurdish militia. Armed only with her camera, she captures the struggles, hopes, and joys of these incredible women, for whom the fight against ISIS is also their way to escape the restraints of a patriarchal society.

Duration: 78 mins
Type: Documentary
Year: 2023

Special Mentions Awardees

 

The AKFF Award Ceremony took place on Sunday 14 May. It is with great pleasure that we announce the winners of each category.

Best Short Film: The Address by Aram Dildar

Best Actress: Halima Ilter for her role in ‘Sinjar’

Best Actor: Qader Jalal for his role in ‘Mind Clemency’

Best Feature Documentary: Dream’s Gate by Negin Ahmadi

Best Director: Zahavi Sanjavi for ‘Imad’s Childhood’

Best Feature Fiction: Transient Happiness by Sina Muhammad

For the AKFF Academy:

2nd place goes to Adnan Zandi for his film Habibullah.

1st place goes to Dilpak Megeed for her film My Mother and I

The AKFF congratulates all winners and wishes them all the best for their future endeavors!

WATCH OUR FESTIVAL TRAILER

We have another fun festival coming up this year. Buy your tickets for the festival now while you still can. Because SOLD OUT = SOLD OUT.

DATE: 12 – 14 MAY

Festival activities Friday 12 May

KANAAL40 x AKFF

40Talk: ‘From Radyo Kurdistan to Radio Amsterdam’. A talk with Kazjin S. (Kurdish Heritage) and Mohamed Ghabri (Echobox) moderated by Han Goshnaw + screening of a short version of ‘Radio Kobani’ by Reber Dosky.

Fri 12 May 7:00 PM – 08:00 PM @ Kanaal40 – Free entry

Q&A Opening film

Exlusive Q&A after openingfilm Dream’s Gate with director Negin Ahmadi and producer Elaheh Nobakht

Fri 12 May 10:15 PM @Ketelhuis – Free entry

Performance by Kurdish Alevi singer Ayşe Roza and electric guitarist Cenk Şanlıoğlu

Ayse Roza is a London based Kurdish/Alevi singer. During her teen years, her love for singing and music grew as she began performing with bands at various community centres and independent music venues. As an up-and-coming talent on the scene, her unique musical style incorporates the Kurdish traditions of Dengbej (historical oral storytelling music) and Deyiş (Alevi ritual/ballad singing) with virtuous Electric guitarist Cenk Sanlioglu. Ayse Roza is further influenced by the genres of soul and blues, together resulting in an experimental fusion of sounds and vocals, bridging the gap between East & Western music.

Fri 12 May 10:40 PM @ Ketelhuis – Free entry

Performance by DJ’s Ramadonna and Jahanam

Hailing from Stockholm with love, Ramadonna and Jahanam bring an unpredicatable and playful take on diasporic sounds from Iran and Kurdistan. As long-time collaborators they’re also no strangers to sending people of the dancefloor on an emotional frenzy with techno tracks that include traditional SWANA instruments, halay, and iconic edits from even moreso iconic tracks.

Fri 12 May 11:00 PM @Ketelhuis – Free entry

Festival activities Saturday 13 May

 

Panel Discussion with Zahavi Sanjavi, director of Imad’s Childhood

Panel discussion about his new project: Jina Amini Revolutionary Art

Sat 13 May 7:30 PM @Ketelhuis Screen 2 – Free entry

Dance performance by Melisa Diktaş

Melisa Diktaş is a Kurdish/Indonesian artist. She shows and presents art through and from movement. Melisa now mainly works in theaters for various productions, companies, poets, events in the Netherlands and abroad and is endlessly engaged in her own research in movement in combination with Kurdish dance, “Govend” – sound in the moment.

Sat 13 May 10:15 PM @Ketelhuis – Free entry

Performance by Roleda

Roleda was born in Istanbul and comes from Batman. He is a performer and musician in heart and soul. With his creative mind, Roleda effortlessly mixes Kurdish music with other influences from t-rap, hip-hop, blues, jazz and reggae. In 2021 he left his theater training in Istanbul and moved to Amsterdam. Here he continues his education. His first reggae single “Medusa” is inspired by his own experiences in his life.

Sat 13 May 10:25 PM @Ketelhuis – Free entry

 

KANAAL40 x AKFF

AKFF CLUB NIGHT: We welcome the King of Keyboard, Rizan Said, for a special live performance at kanaal40. The night will furthermore be filled with DJ’s Ramadonna and Jahanam.

Tickets for the club night are available at www.kanaal40.tv.

Sat 13 May 11:00 PM – 3:00 AM @ Kanaal40

Festival activities Sunday 14 May

Children’s Workshop: My First Movie

Does your child, brother, sister, nephew or niece want to become a filmmaker? Do they really enjoy making videos? Who knows, you might have a talented filmmaker-to-be at home!

We are organizing a film making workshop for children between 9 and 14 years old on Sunday 14 May at 11 AM in the Ketelhuis. We have room for 8 participants. The workshop is given by  Kurdish filmmaker Dieko Mirza.

During this workshop you will learn how to film in a professional manner. How does a camera work? How do I take the best shots? What should you pay attention to while filming? In the first half of the workshop the children will make two shots outside and in the second half Dieko will show them how he edits the images into one video.

Sun 14 May 11:00 AM @Ketelhuis

Women’s Panel – How to kick-start your career in the film industry as a woman?

Join us this Sunday at 2.30pm in Zaal 2 @HetKetelhuis for a panel discussion, moderated by our very own Beri Shalmashi and hosting our international panelists, Negin Ahmadi, Elaheh Nobakht and Avesta Kadir who will discuss breaking into the film industry as a woman, and what that looks like. Aspiring filmmakers can learn where to begin and ask questions. Don’t miss out on this educational and empowering event!

Sun 14 May 2.30 PM @Ketelhuis – Free entry

Performance by Hozan Dîno

Hozan Dîno is a Kurdish folk singer. He made five albums including his hits like ‘Oy Yare’, ‘Cu’, ‘Le Daye’, ‘Gula Dilemin’ and more. With his performances in the US, UK, Canada and in Europe, he sheds light on the pain the Kurdish people are going through.

Sun 14 May 8:15 PM @Ketelhuis – Free entry

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