SÎNEBÎR PROJECT FUND

 

AMED INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL PROJECT FUND

 

PURPOSE

To support the development of Kurdish cinema, encourage scriptwriting, assist individuals who wish to improve themselves in this field, and contribute to the qualitative and quantitative advancement of screenwriting in Kurdish cinema, Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality will provide support for screenplay projects in the categories of “Feature Film Screenplay, Documentary Film Screenplay, and Short Film Screenplay” as part of the Amed International Film Festival.

SCOPE

The project fund is open to anyone who can write in Kurdish or its dialects. Members of the Board of Directors of the Middle Eastern Cinema Academy Association, members of the Amed International Film Festival Organizing Committee, employees of the Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality, and members of the screenplay jury are not eligible to apply. Scripts that have won an award or placement in another screenplay competition or have previously been filmed are not eligible for submission.

AMOUNTS TO BE AWARDED WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT

  • Kurdish Feature Film Screenplay – (1.000.000 TL)
  • Kurdish Documentary Film Screenplay – (500.000 TL)
  • Kurdish Short Film Screenplay – (300.000 TL)

CONDITIONS FOR PARTICIPATION

  1. Participants may choose any topic for their project. However, works that violate fundamental human rights or universal values, or that contain insults toward any ethnic, religious, or gender identity, will not be considered. The screenplays must be original and should not be an adaptation of or derived from any other works from home or abroad. If the submitted screenplay is found to be plagiarized, in whole or in part, the prize will be revoked. If the award has already been disbursed, it will be reclaimed along with legal interest. The applicant bears full responsibility for any legal disputes concerning authorship.
  2. Submitted screenplays must comply with standard screenplay formatting. Unnecessary technical terms (e.g., “camera pans,” “camera positioned overhead…”) should be avoided. Instead of technical language, visual descriptions suitable for cinematic expression should be used. Works written as summaries, synopses, treatments, or story outlines will not be accepted. Applicants may choose either French or American screenplay formats.
  3. Screenplays must be typed in Times New Roman, font size 12.
  4. Each applicant may submit up to 2 screenplays. Screenplays may be submitted by individuals or groups. However, the award will be granted to the person who submitted the project. The festival administration is not responsible for any disputes arising from the sharing of the prize.
  5. Only one screenplay per category will be awarded. The winning screenplay must be turned into a film within two years and must be shared with the Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality Department of Culture and Tourism. If this condition is not fulfilled, the Municipality reserves the right to revoke the award.
  6. All screenplays submitted for project support are considered approved by the applicant to be used, reproduced, and distributed by the Middle Eastern Cinema Academy Association and the Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality Department of Culture and Tourism Cinema Unit/Sînebîr for educational purposes only, without commercial intent. If the work is published, the author will receive a royalty payment.
  7. Screenplays not awarded a prize will be archived by the festival and will not be shared with any third party.
  8. All submitted screenplays must be written in Kurdish (any dialect is accepted). However, for narrative purposes, dialogues in other languages may be included. Non-Kurdish dialogues must not exceed 30% of the total dialogue in the screenplay

APPLICATION METHOD AND REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

  • Deadline for submission is July 15, 2025.
  • Screenplay submissions must be uploaded by completing the application form in full at: https://en.amedfilmfest.org.tr
  • Incomplete forms or missing information will result in the application being rejected.
  • Project Title
  • Project Summary: Maximum 500 characters, to be written in Kurdish.
  • Synopsis: Maximum 1 page, written in Kurdish.
  • Treatment: Maximum 7 pages, written in Kurdish.
  • Screenplay: Final version of the screenplay to be submitted in Kurdish.
  • Director’s Statement: Maximum 1 page, written in Kurdish.
  • Producer’s Statement: Should describe the planning and production process, and must not exceed 2 pages. Written in Kurdish.
  • Application History: If the project has been submitted elsewhere before, this must be stated along with the outcome. Written in Kurdish.
  • Screenwriter’s Biography and Filmography: To be submitted with a photo of the applicant. Written in Kurdish.
  • Link: If the applicant has any completed film works, links must be included here.

EVALUATION AND ANNOUNCEMENT

The submitted screenplays will be evaluated by a jury appointed by the Festival Committee and later announced to the public.

Three screenplays will be selected as finalists, and the results will be published on the festival website on October 5, 2025.

The three finalists in each category will present and defend their screenplays before the jury between November 9–16, 2025.

Following the jury’s final evaluation, one screenplay from each category will be awarded the Best Screenplay Prize.

The award-winning screenplays will be officially announced during the award ceremony on November 16, 2025.

ADDRESS AND CONTACT INFORMATION