Amed International Film Festival, launched in 2012 in Amed under the leadership of the Middle Eastern Cinema Academy, was established to provide a platform for independent filmmakers —particularly Kurdish filmmakers— whose work resists industry power dynamics. The festival values challenging conventional gender norms through a women’s liberation paradigm, recognizing all segments of society as cultural richness, viewing ecology as a fundamental part of social life, and prioritizing resistance and freedom over preserving the status quo.
By adapting the principles of democratic modernity to its own unique context, the festival has brought together many artists from the Middle East and around the world, establishing itself as a symbol of Amed and a festival that transcends convention —uniting filmmakers and audiences in a free, open, and inclusive space.
As history shows, Amed —a stronghold of change, transformation, and resistance— has always embraced, and when necessary, created a mission of nurturing, inspiring, and hosting artists across the arts. In this spirit, the Amed International Film Festival was held twice, in 2012 and 2016, bringing together filmmakers and audiences and establishing itself as an esteemed and alternative platform.
The festival was twice organized under the leadership of the Middle Eastern Cinema Academy, with the support of Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality. However, after those years, a government-appointed trustee replaced the elected municipal administration, and due to a range of political and structural obstacles, the festival was postponed and could not be held again.
Due to well-known circumstances, the festival, —like many other events in various branches of art— was unable to take place for eight years. Now, after this eight-year hiatus, the Amed International Film Festival is once again turning on its projectors under the leadership of the Middle Eastern Cinema Academy,with the hosting support of the Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality.
It returns in collaboration with all institutions that have something to say or share with Amed, with society, and with communities through the medium of art and cinema.
More than just an official organization , the festival has become an event embraced by the city itself —by every institution in Amed that seeks to express something about Amed. This, in essence, is a reflection of the city’s identity.
The Amed International Film Festival established itself as a benchmark for Kurdish film festivals in its very first year, playing a unifying role by bringing together previously scattered and independent festivals.
In the years that followed, its influence became even more evident in the growing development and visibility of Kurdish film festivals.
In this sense, the Amed International Film Festival has taken on a mission that is followed, supported, and embraced by Kurds and Kurdish filmmakers across the globe —a platform where they find strength, solidarity, and visibility.
While embracing all Kurdish filmmakers as hosts, the festival also opens its screen to the peoples of the world, united by shared principles and values. Through its two earlier editions, it has already made significant progress towards this mission.
With this year’s festival, planned for the second week of November, we aim to present a panorama of the past eight years —and leave a promise of reunion for the years to come.
Middle Eastern Cinema Academy
Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality
