TEHRAN-A total of 27 Iranian films will take part in the 11th Duhok International Film Festival that is due to be held in Kurdistan, Iraq, from December 9 to 16.

A selection of feature, short, and documentary films from Iran will be screened in various sections of the festival, ILNA reported.

“Melody” directed by Behrouz Sebt Rasoul and “Empty Nets” by Behrooz Karamizad will compete in the World Feature Competition section.

In the World Short Competition section, “Khabur” by Nafis Fathollahzadeh and “Twenty-One Weeks Later” by Nasrin Mohammadpour will vie for the top award.

“Sakar” by Ebrahim Saeedi and “Migration” by Moshfegh Shojaei will represent Iran at the Kurdish Feature Competition section.

In the Kurdish Panorama Short Documentary section, “A Solitude Poem” by Kimiya Marzang will be screened.

Moreover, Iran will have six representatives in the Kurdish Documentary Competition section, five films in the Kurdish Short Film Competition section, and six movies in the Kurdish Panorama Short section.

In addition to the films participating in the event, three Iranian filmmakers will be in the jury panels of the film festival.

Director, writer, and producer Ali Asgari will preside over the World Cinema Jury. Director, writer, and critic Ghotbedin Sadeghi and filmmaker and VFX supervisor Akam Rezaee will serve as members of the Kurdish Cinema Jury.

Kurdistan covers in big parts the region of former Mesopotamia. Being one of the oldest cultures in the world, Mesopotamia is widely considered as the cradle of civilization, where writing was invented and the origins of philosophy can be traced back to. With its ancient, highly developed and socially complex states it had a profound impact on the development of the western civilization and culture.

The Duhok International Film Festival aims to showcase innovative films of high artistic value with a notable handwriting made throughout the world. It shall work as a pinnacle point for all wishing to learn more about the possibilities the Kurdish regions have to offer. 

Duhok IFF wishes to create an atmosphere of exchange between different cultures and human values. The city becomes an encounter of civilizations, where ancient culture connects with modern culture and the Kurdish film landscape with world cinema. Unique film experiences can be made and people can share their thirst for new discoveries and a passion for cinema in all its diversity.

A major task of the festival is to build a bridge between Kurdish film production and worldwide filmmaking. It wishes to create a launch platform for films from Kurdistan, taking the pulse of new tendencies and offering the opportunity to explore a terrain opening up in contemporary filmmaking. As a unique festival in this region, it understands itself as a forge for new talents and a meeting place for up-and-coming filmmakers.

The program does not only present a wide selection of international productions from all over the world, it also aims to spotlight Kurdish film in the world’s film landscape. It focusses both on new films from the four parts of Kurdistan (Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey), as well as on films from abroad including films made by Kurdish filmmakers who live in Diaspora.

SS/SAB