AMED INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL – FEATURE FILM REGULATIONS
PURPOSE
Amed International Film Festival aims to:
- Preserve and promote cultural and artistic values, primarily of Kurdish culture and art, as well as those of the peoples of the Middle East and the world;
- Contribute to the development and visibility of cinematic productions by Kurds and other peoples of the Middle East;
- Bring together Kurdish filmmakers and audiences;
- Create an alternative platform where works of art –commodified in today’s world– can meet the public through a democratic, communal, gender-equal, and ecological framework;
- Provide a space for artists to come together, beyond relationships shaped by industrialism;
- Bring together films produced in the Middle East in a multicultural environment.
FESTIVAL DATES
The 3rd Amed International Film Festival will take place between November 9-16, 2025.
FESTIVAL MANAGEMENT
The Amed International Film Festival is managed and organized by the Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality Department of Culture and Tourism and the Middle Eastern Cinema Academy Association. The authority for all decisions rests with the Festival Executive Board.
FESTIVAL CATEGORIES
A – Kurdish Feature Film Category
B – Kurdish Documentary Film Category
C – Kurdish Short Film Category
D – Feature Film Category
E – Documentary Film Category
F – Short Film Category
FEATURE FILM CATEGORY
The aim of this section is to create a cultural and artistic platform for communication in the field of cinema by encouraging the participation of films produced in different countries around the world.
The principles that shape the festival’s unique identity and form also apply to this category.
REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTICIPATION
- Fictional and feature-length films produced in Kurdish are eligible to apply for the Feature Film Category.
- Submitted films must be at least 60 minutes long.
- Only fictional feature films completed after January 1, 2022, are eligible for submission.
- Films submitted to the festival must not have been broadcast on any television channel.
- Applications must be submitted by the legal owner of the film. If the film has multiple owners, all owners must sign the application form.
- Submitted films must be technically sound and free of any issues that may affect screening quality. The Festival Executive Board holds the authority to make the final decision on this matter.
- Legal owners of the films wishing to participate must complete their application via https://en.amedfilmfest.org.tr by July 1, 2025, at the latest.
- The results of the preliminary jury evaluation will be announced on October 5, 2025.
- Films accepted into the festival must submit a flawless copy suitable for pre-screening, translation, press screenings, and public screenings by October 10, 2025, to the Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality Department of Culture and Tourism, Cinema Unit / Sînebîr.
- Filmmakers and their crews will be invited in limited numbers as determined by the festival management and hosted during the festival.
- Submitted films may be included in the screening program by the festival viewing committee. Applicants must indicate their opinion on this matter in the application form.
- Film owners must submit the documents listed below completely, along with the signed application form.
DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR APPLICATION
- The application form must be signed by hand, scanned, and sent via email in PDF format to the festival’s contact address.
- All information and documents in the application form are the responsibility of the signatory. Any legal consequences arising from these details fall on the applicant. The festival administration reserves the right to make necessary changes to submitted texts.
- A password-protected online screening link valid from the application date until the preliminary results announcement.
- Technical details of the film (credits)
- Film synopsis in Kurdish and English (maximum 250 words)
- Film poster (vertical design, in jpg, pdf, png, or tiff format)
- At least 5 still images from the film
- Director’s biography (approx. 150 words in Kurdish and English), filmography, and a photo
- Film trailer (online link – must not contain logos, subtitles, timecode, etc.) for TV promotions and festival use
- Subtitle file (.srt in English) must be submitted along with the film’s original language
- Accepted film formats: mp4 (all variations), mov, QuickTime, DCP
- Submitted materials will not be returned.
- Once selected, a film cannot be withdrawn from the festival after its official announcement.
FESTIVAL RIGHTS
If the required documents are not delivered to the festival office on time, the film may be excluded from the program even if it passes the preliminary selection.
The festival may use up to 3 minutes of the film for promotional purposes.
The Festival Management reserves the right to exclude films that do not meet the required technical standards for screening.
Participation in the 3rd Amed International Film Festival constitutes acceptance of all these terms and conditions.