Global Festival Program
Glaciers: Water Reservoirs or Sacred Ancestors?
Natalie
Glaciers are frozen water; their ice is a planetary time machine that delays the journey of precipitation to streamflow by centuries, from what might take hours without them. As a hydrologist, I’ve understood glaciers as reservoirs of water and energy, but they capture so much more- pollution, artifacts, and even life. They are the ancestors who carved the landscape we know. In this talk, I weave science with spirit to explore both the glacial hydrological resource and reflect on the living glacier with an identity, rights, and wisdom of its own. Glaciers around the world have irreversibly shrunk this and recent years. How will we honor their melt? What can they teach us? What can we preserve?
The Future of Indigenous Peoples Cinema
Prof. Aashish Xaxa
Oral histories and cinema. Mediums separated by a time frame. Imagine once they are merged. Cinema which began as a vaudeville attraction has emerged in the last century as the biggest audio-visual medium of expression. It has spanned cultures, societies and touched millions of lives. A critical point to be noted is the depiction of Indigenous Peoples in cinema. Most depictions across various countries have stereotyped them as backward, savages, primitive, very much steeped in colonial anthropological tropes. However, such depictions have been challenged in the last 20 years or so. Thanks to technological advancement, Indigenous filmmakers are increasingly making their own films, sharing their own stories and challenging age-old stereotypes. The future of Indigenous Peoples Cinema has the potential to shine as a beacon of cultural sovereignty, creative empowerment, and global resonance. They can weave narratives that honor ancestral wisdom, reclaim histories, and imagine bold futures. This talk will explore how Indigenous filmmakers can not only shape the screen but also redefine the very essence of global cinema, fostering a world that sees, hears, and celebrates the richness of Indigenous perspectives.
The Magic of D’Club and What’s not to Love
Dinero Ash
Dinero Ash is an established Indian artist known for his unique blend of hip-hop and old school Bolywood songs , captivating audiences with his powerful lyrics and catchy melodies. Hailing from New Delhi, he has rapidly gained recognition in the music industry for his distinctive style and compelling storytelling. His music journey began at a moment when he realised he was able to play any instrument, particularly drums at ease , influenced by a diverse range of genres and artists, which helped him develop a sound that resonates with many. Dinero Ash's debut single “Dilli Hai” received critical acclaim and showcased his lyrical prowess, earning him a loyal fanbase. Over the years, he has released several successful tracks and collaborated with notable artists like the Apache Indian “Rise Up”, “Freedom”, further establishing his presence in the music scene. His achievements include notable awards, reflecting his talent. In addition to his music, Dinero Ash is also involved in various philanthropic efforts and his acclaimed social project the D’Club , using a drumming collective as a platform to give back to the community. With a growing discography and a commitment to his craft, Dinero Ash is poised to make a lasting impact on the music industry where he shares the magic behind all of this hard work.
Film Festivals as Technologies: Reflections on the ETHNOKINO FILM FESTIVAL
from the Perspective of Media Ecology
Prof. José Samuel Martínez López
Starting from the premise that media ecology (a perspective that encompasses different points of view and varied interpretations) is not a scientific theory or an academic school, but rather a multidisciplinary and innovative field of scientific and humanistic research that serves to understand the human condition in its entirety, this talk will share various reflections on film festivals in general (as communication technologies that create environments and transform our perception of the world). Finally, I will specifically discuss the importance of the Ethnokino Film Festival.
Workshop on Anatolian Herbal Incense Bundles and Candle Making
Ozlem Ergul
You are invited to discover the ancient wisdom of local plants. In this workshop, you will prepare your own incense bundles using healing herbs such as lavender, sage, rosemary, and yarrow, and experience the making of rolled candles with natural beeswax.
This gathering, shaped by the scent of nature, the language of fire, and the power of intention, offers a space for inner cleansing. Participants will not only create handmade products but also engage with the healing culture carried by plants.
Three years ago, Özlem Ergül left the big city for the countryside in search of a quieter, more sustainable life in harmony with nature. For some time now, under the brand name Kirke Herbs, she has been producing medicinal herbs, clean-ingredient cosmetics, soaps, and candles.
Patience and Perseverance
Dr. Enzo Ikah
Enzo Ikah delivers a powerful reflection on the transformative strength of enduring adversity with dignity and purpose. Drawing from his own lived experiences as a political refugee, musician, and human rights advocate, Ikah emphasizes that true change does not happen overnight but is cultivated through the quiet, consistent acts of hope, resilience, and belief in justice. With a voice shaped by struggle yet grounded in compassion, he challenges us to rethink urgency, inviting us instead to honor the slow rhythms of healing, solidarity, and self-realization. His message is a call to those who feel forgotten or silenced: to remain steadfast, to keep creating, and to trust that perseverance, rooted in patience, can carve magical paths to liberation.
A Musical Vision Talk on Healing
Perin Dinekli
Perin is a mother of three and a physician trained in classical homeopathy, running her private practice since 1991. Her approach to healing is deeply holistic, embracing not just the physical, but also the emotional, spiritual, and social dimensions of well-being. For her, the path of care extends beyond the clinic. A lifelong student of yoga and
a passionate tango dancer, she sees movement and music as powerful expressions of connection, presence, and resilience. Over the years, she has brought these elements together, offering workshops, sharing spaces of reflection and creativity, and supporting initiatives that foster both personal and collective transformation.
Her activism is lived as much as it is practiced. Often traveling across Europe in her minivan, she joins gatherings, shares her work in community-based settings, and nurtures networks that bridge healing, art, and social justice.
With every encounter, whether through homeopathy, music, or movement, she remains committed to a vision of wholeness grounded in care, joy, and deep listening. Her life’s work is a testament to the belief that healing is not only a personal journey but also a shared, creative, and political one.
Musical Performance
Johanna Suheyla Hillebrand
Johanna Suheyla is a singer-songwriter based in Penzance, Cornwall, with a lifelong love for stories, folk and fairy tales. On open-tuned guitar and 5-string banjo, she writes honest and sometimes personal songs plucked out of life around her, her own experiences and the endless stream of stories playing in her head. She writes poetry that sometimes turns into lyrics and finds it nearly impossible to write a song on purpose.
She is also a mother of two miraculous children, a song sharing leader, one fifth of Irish-based Jukebox Gypsy, one fourth of former Foxes Fair and, most recently, half of Grace and Johanna, a Penzance-based old-time/folk duo partial to a murder ballad and other tales of the macabre.
Creating from Love
Naveen Shams
Love. We have a problematic relationship to it. We seem to know it, we feel it, it’s universal, yet there is an aversion in many from using its tremendous power for transformation. In this talk, Naveen shares stories of love, practices of remembering love, and shares his call to create from love.
Dr. Naveen Shamsudhin is a social artist, community organizer, and a highly-cited transdisciplinary researcher. He has founded several organizations and collectives across sectors, including Kaleido (transformative learning spaces), Humane Warriors (north-south solidarity), Edible City Zurich (urban permaculture), Rootlinks (education for sustainability) and Institute of Body Energetics (embodied leadership training). He is the co-founder of Cocoonweaver, an intuitive creativity app for neurodivergents. He believes in the transformational power of art, community and inner work to catalyze regenerative change in individuals and social systems.
The human dimensions of adapting to climate change, the holistic perspective
Laura Vellejo
In the face of today’s reality, a climate crisis intertwined with human conflicts such as wars, polarizing ideologies, misinformation, and forced displacement, it’s not uncommon to feel hopeless, to wonder what the point is of taking action, or even, more painfully, to question the meaning of life itself. And yet, humanity holds a powerful opportunity: to redirect its course toward compassion, care, preservation, and love for the planet and for one another.
This requires a holistic perspective, one that dissolves the artificial divide between nature and humanity, and instead embraces the unity and interdependence among all living beings.
This talk invites us on a “magical” journey to explore the opportunities we have as human beings to understand ourselves through the lens of this climate crisis. To embrace the chaos not as the end, but as part of a process that can lead us toward a more sustainable future rooted in love and care for nature and for ourselves. It is also an invitation to let ourselves be moved by the atmosphere of the fairy chimneys in Cappadocia to listen to what they may tell us about how we have changed, “evolved,” and walked the path to where we are today. And, like wise grandmothers, to let these ancient rocks whisper what we might still do to build a better environment and a more conscious way of living. Every rock matters, every leaf has a purpose, every insect, every animal, every person. What happens in one region is never disconnected from the rest of the world. We will move forward more effectively when we truly understand this and begin to act as one.
Body Movement
Noemi Wildmann
Noemi is a movement and expressive arts facilitator and shadow work coach and moderator. She passionately explores the intersections of movement, ancestral wisdom and decolonization. With the intention of connecting to the body, to the land and to our roots, Noemi creates experiences for groups and individuals to engage with their histories in meaningful ways: deepening presence, slowing down, finding the answers within the body, as the body already knows. In Noemis morning sessions at the 5th EthnoKino Festival, participants will be invited to enter a journey of self-discovery and reflection on a cellular level, where embodiment aims to help create liberated body minds. Sessions will be about: Decolonizing time, Connecting to the land and ancestral wisdom, Reclaiming and dismantling anger and shame and Liberating bodies.
Tar & Radhika Film Screenings Q&A
Pinar Ekinci
In the remote village of Tar, nestled within the rugged Ladakhi mountains, 70-year-old Tsering reflects on the life he once knew, filled with self-sufficiency and community, as he grapples with the profound changes brought by modernity. Tar captures the contrast between the past and present of this hidden gem, offering a poignant meditation on the passage of time, nostalgia, and the impact of development on a timeless way of life.
Pinar is from Istanbul Turkey and studied in the UK and worked as a computer programmer across Europe for ten years. A few years ago, she left her career to follow her dream of becoming a traveling storyteller.She loves discovering new places, meeting people, and immersing herself in different cultures and languages. During her travels, she prefers to stay in one place for an extended period to connect with the land and its people, observing their daily lives. Her passion is sharing stories of all kinds, exploring people's lives, traditions, and struggles while also raising awareness about important topics such as environmental issues, human and animal rights, and mental health.Her most recent films made to film festivals world wide are “The Move” (2024) , “TAR” (2025) and “Radhika”(2025).
Vision Talk and Replikaa Film Screening
Tayeeb Alhafez
In a dystopian future, Replikaaa immerses viewers in a stylized, wordless universe where six traffickers operate in parallel, each exploiting a different facet of human desire and vulnerability: genetics, antiquities, organs, biochemical substances, precious stones, and digital selves. The award-winning 15-minute silent short Replikaaa launched the series, which was later expanded into character-driven short films—Repossessed, Speed of Light, Ravage Haight, and Retrieval. These works confront global trafficking through a high-concept sci-fi lens that blends performance, visual art, and experimental cinema.
The Magic of Film and Exhibition Making when Dealing with Death.
Prof. Ton Otto
Death remains one of the universal enigmas of human life. What happens after our biological demise? What kinds
of the afterlife are imaginable? How do we continue to relate to our dead loved ones? In many cultures, magic and ritual are used to tame the fear of dying, to postpone death or to inflict it, and to make the transition to another world possible. I am interested to study how people in different cultures deal with the enigma of death, and I wish to share my insights with a wide audience. Like many others, I observe that people in modern secularized societies often have problems dealing with death and see it as the enemy to be defeated rather than a part of life to be carefully attended to. I believe that listening to and trying to understand other cultural worlds will have a positive influence
for all involved. In order to have an impact with my research, I use the modern magic of two powerful media
of communication: film and exhibition-making. In this masterclass, I discuss and compare two recent productions,
the exhibition The Lives of the Dead (Moesgaard Museum 2014-2023) and the film On Behalf of the Living
(DER 2025), to find out how we can cast a spell by immersive, sensory, participative, and interventionist methods.
Myths , storytelling and The Challenges of Taking on Multiple Roles in Cinema
Alexandre Machafer
In this exclusive masterclass, I share my experience working simultaneously as a director, actor, and producer in my latest film. Through personal stories and behind-the-scenes insights, we explore the challenges and rewards of balancing these three essential roles in filmmaking. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of:
•How to maintain creative vision while navigating production realities
•The dynamics of directing while acting
•Strategies for effective communication and collaboration on set
•The importance of preparation, intuition, and trust in a multi-role workflow
A Community-Driven Filmmaking Journey from Patagonia
Jorge Grez
Ten years ago, driven by a shared passion for history and regional identity, producer Francisco Diaz, screenwriter Maritza Romero, and I set out to create cinema in the Magallanes Region and Patagonia. This dream became reality with our first film, Fire in the Magellanic Workers' Federation—a powerful and tragic account of the abuses
and massacres suffered by local workers. This initial experience fueled the birth of the Magellan Cinema Corporation, a non-profit organization dedicated to uniting communities through filmmaking.
Our mission: to give voice to untold stories and involve local people, both professionals and first-time participants,
in every step of the cinematic process. For Cappadocia 2025, we bring a special Masterclass showcasing this journey: how filmmaking can be a tool for community empowerment, identity-building, and courageous storytelling even in the most remote places.
From the corner of my world, my voice has never been heard until now - participatory filmmaking
with marginalized teenagers as a tool for re-integration.
Prof. Oana Ivan
After living all their lives on the landfill near the big city of Cluj Napoca, where their families have been abusively relocated by the local authorities, the Roma teenagers of Pata Rat are now part of a program to be re-integrated into the life of the city. How does it feel to move away from the garbage, back in the city? How can filmmaking help the teenagers re-integrate into the social life of the new community? After participating in a 5-week filmmaking workshop, where they learnt to write a script, film, and edit, 3 teenagers made their own films, answering these questions. This presentation discusses how filmmaking empowers marginalized communities, how making their own films to represent their own perspective is a significant shift from subject to director of the film, and how segregation, marginalization, and exoticization could be substantially reduced through participatory filmmaking.