Iranian filmmakers dominate Duhok Int’l Film Festival with record 27 entries
Iranian filmmakers are making a strong presence at the 11th Duhok International Film Festival, held in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq from December 9 to 16, 2024.
With three jurors and 27 films competing in various sections, Iranian cinema is set to make a lasting impression on the festival, ILNA reported.
Ali Asgari, an Iranian director and screenwriter, is heading the jury for the International Feature Film Competition, while Ghotbedin Sadeghi, a renowned Iranian theater actor and director, is a member of the jury for the Kurdish Cinema Feature Film Competition. Akam Rezaee, an Iranian visual effects manager and director based in the US, is also a member of the jury for the Kurdish Cinema Feature Film Competition.
Plus, Khosro Sina, a screenwriter and cinema professor at the University of Kurdistan in Sanandaj, and Salem Salavati, a film director and head of the Mahabad Youth Cinema Association, will be leading a panel discussion on the “Importance of Academic Cinema Education” at the University of Duhok on December 15.
In the competitive section of World Cinema, two Iranian films are vying for the top prizes: ‘Empty Nets’, directed by Behrouz Karamizadeh, a co-production between Iran and Germany, and ‘Melody’, directed by Behrouz Sebt Rasoul, a co-production between Iran and Tajikistan. Both films are competing for the Yilmaz Güney Award, which is considered the most prestigious award of the festival, as well as the New Talent Award.
In the Kurdish Cinema Competition, Iranian films ‘Sakar’, directed by Ebrahim Saeidi and ‘Caucher’, directed by Moshfeq Shojaei are competing for Best Film, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Director, FIPRESCI Award, and the Duhok Governorate Award.
The festival also features six Iranian documentary films competing for the Best Documentary Award, as well as six Iranian short films competing for the Best Short Film Award.
The 11th Duhok International Film Festival is being held under the theme of “Sports” and features 107 films from Iran and around the world, including feature films, short films, and documentaries. The festival is supported by the Kurdistan Regional Government and aims to promote cultural exchange between Kurdish filmmakers and filmmakers from around the world.