Xeyal Qertel grew up in Turkey. Her parents, school and community imparted on her from a young age that her Kurdish identity must be kept a secret. After moving to New York and embracing her heritage more outside of the Kurdistan region, she decided to establish the New York Kurdish Film Festival in 2017. The 2022 festival will begin on October 14th.
For more information on the festival visit:
https://kurdishculturalcenter.com/film-festival/