With the screening of an astounding 121 films, the London Kurdish Film Festival is underway in the British capital. 

The LKFF is the only festival that brings together the largest selection of films from all four parts of Kurdistan and around the world. Comprising 23 features, 46 documentaries and 52 shorts, the festival explores a variety of issues, including: human and women’s rights; war and political struggle; homeland, conflicts of culture, language, and identity.

Highlights, this year, include master filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi’s UK premiere of Rhino Season starring award winning actress Monica Bellucci and Behrouz Vossoughi; the UK premiere of the prestigious Cannes selected, My Sweet Pepperland directed by Hiner Saleem; and Antalya Golden Orange Best Film winner Your Beauty Is Worth Nothing directed by Hüseyin Tabak. The directors will be attending the festival and are ready for interviews and Q&A.

This year’s programme also includes two topical documentaries, exploring the current struggle of Kurds in Syria (West Kurdistan): The Silent Revolution, and The Last Cigarette.

We also present two award winning shorts; Houses With Small Windows (2013 European Short Film Award, Venice) and L. Rezan Yeşilbaş’s Silent, which won the Palme d’Or for Best Short Film at Festival Cannes 2012.

20 of the short films are competing in the prestigious 4th Yılmaz Güney short Film Competition, which will be announced during the festival.