The Jury of the 11th Duhok International Film Festival Were Introduced

The jury members for the World Cinema and Kurdish Cinema competition categories of the 11th edition of the Duhok International Film Festival have been introduced.

According to the report of Mansour Jahani, an independent and international cinema journalist, Massoud Arif, the official speaker for the Duhok Film Festival, has stated, As you know, in the first press conference of the festival, the films of the Kurdish Cinema competition, the World Cinema competition films, the out-of-competition Kurdish Panorama section films, the out-of-competition World Vision section films were introduced, and today in the second press conference, Shawkat Amin Korki the artistic director of the festival, introduced the members of the jury of the five sections of the festival.

Screening of 107 films by directors from around the world

He added that the 11th edition of the Duhok International Film Festival with the motto Sports and Sports for all, Presided by Amir Ali Mohammed Tahir and with the screening of 107 films by directors from different countries of the world, is set to be held on 9-16 December 2024, at Duhok University’s congregation hall and the Duhok Mall Cineplex in Duhok, Kurdistan Region, Iraq. Heralding the motto of Sports, this edition of Duhok will showcase 107 films by directors of different geographical backgrounds, in a variety of formats such as feature films, shorts, and documentaries in the two categories of competition and out-of-competition.

Hope (Hêvî) is the opening film

Shawkat Amin Korki, the artistic director of the Duhok Film Festival, said, the 11th edition of the festival will be opened with the film Hope (Hêvî) directed by Orhan Ince, a Kurdish director from Turkey. This year, 107 films will be screened in different sections of the festival, of which 55 films are in the competition section and compete with each other to win the prize.

World Cinema Competition Jury Members

This Kurdish filmmaker commented on the members of the jury for the competition categories of World Cinema and Kurdish Cinema, this year also features five competition categories and the entries to the Duhok International Film Festival will be judged by the members of the jury. The members of the jury of the international cinema category are the following figures:

• Ali Asgari, filmmaker and screenwriter from Iran is the jury president
• Elif Ergezen, director, editor, and cinematographer from Turkey
• Kordo Doski, an Iraqi-Kurdish director living in the United States
• Martina Sakova, director from Slovakia
• Miraz Bezar, director and writer from Turkey.

Kurdish Cinema Competition Jury Members

He also said, the members of the jury for the feature-length films in the Kurdish Cinema category are the following:

• Barbara Lorey, a journalist from France, is the jury president
• Akam Rezaee, the director of visual effects, an Iranian Kurdish director living in the United States
• Hekmat Daoud, the set and costume designer from Syria
• Mohamed Al-daradji, director from Iraq
• Dr. Qhotbedin Sadeghi, actor and theater director from Iran.

Members of the jury for the documentary competition

Shawkat Amin Korki continued his remarks by saying, that the jurors for the documentaries competition are as follows:

Thomas Lier, university professor and head of the education and discourse department of the Goethe-Institut from Germany as the jury president

• Betty Lerche, an artist from Germany
• Zahavi Sanjavi is a documentary director and Kurdish filmmaker living in Sweden.

Members of the jury for the shorts competition

The artistic director of the Duhok Film International Festival added, that the jurors for the category of shorts competition are the following:

• Gouri Nair, an actor from India is the jury president
• Ali Hakim, an Afghan director living in Germany
• Beliban Zu Stolberg, a screenwriter from Germany
• Kardo Mansur, a filmmaker from Norway.

FIPRESCI Jury Members

Shawkat Amin Korki stressed that in the last couple of years, the International Federation of Film Critics has played an impactful role in the Duhok International Film Festival, and this year on the 100th anniversary of the establishment of this prestigious and academic film institution; three critics will be in charge of that task.

• Elena Rubashevska, director, journalist, and film critic from Ukraine
• Ergin Opengin, researcher and researcher from Turkey
• Jim Slotek, a film critic from Canada.

Indian cinema “Country in Focus” at the 75th 11th Dohuk

Massoud Arif said in the continuation of this press conference: Duhok International Film Festival, in its 11th edition, takes another step towards world cinema, and in this period, in terms of content and form, we are witnessing changes in this film event and the city of Duhok. In this one week, he will experience other days and nights. This year, we have chosen India as the guest country in the Duhok International Film Festival and also a six-person professional dance group from this country will be a guest of the festival and will perform their program during the days of the festival.

Four stars of the Arab world, special guests of the festival

He also said, said about the special guests of this film event: This year, four prominent stars of the Arab world cinema, including; Elham Shahein, a well-known Egyptian actress, Elham Safi El Din, an Egyptian actress, Kinda Hanna, an actress from Syria, and Nagi Teameh, a director from Syria, are special guests this is the period of the festival.

Unveiling of the official poster of the Duhok Film Festival

Shawkat Amin Korki, the artistic director of the Duhok International Film Festival, said, this year’s Duhok Film Festival poster has been created by the Ukrainian artist Yana Vekshyna. This poster was inspired by the festival’s main slogan, “Sports and Cinema”. In this poster, the horse was also present in last year’s poster; As a symbol and symbol of power and movement, as well as along last year’s poster, it is entering this year’s poster. The logo of the festival is placed on the sun and the mountains are shown as the nature of Kurdistan. The sun’s rays are like the light that falls on the cinema screen through the projector; They can be seen here.

The poster captures the region’s vibrant spirit of individuals engaged

The poster captures the region’s vibrant spirit by showcasing individuals engaged in various sports against a breathtaking mountain backdrop. Athletes embody the festival’s themes of sports and resilience, while the majestic mountains symbolize both challenge and inspiration. The dense composition of dynamic elements conveys a sense of community and celebration, highlighting the festival’s commitment to promoting local culture and inviting audiences to explore the intersection of Kurdish art, sport, and nature.

Unveiling of the official Trailer for the Duhok Film Festival

He added that Slovakian filmmaker Martina Sakova has created this year´s festival trailer. Martina´s film Summer Rebels is also shown in the children´s program. This trailer, inspired by the main slogan of the festival; That is, “sports and cinema”, children playing sports, as well as the nature of Kurdistan were created.

The Trailer captures the essence of change

The trailer opens with a girl on the back of a horse. She is looking over a misty Kurdish mountain landscape. The girl releases an arrow into the sky. The flying arrow turns into rays of light that flow through different terrains, taking on different forms of flying gymnasts, wrestlers, or Kurdish dancers. All this symbolizes movement and cultural richness.

Finally, the ray of light transforms into a boy playing soccer and kicking the football against a wall, breaking it into pieces. Emotionally evocative, the trailer captures the essence of change.

Memoriam of Yılmaz Güney, the 1982 Palme d’Or winner at Cannes

Duhok International Film Festival in memoriam of Yılmaz Güney, the 1982 Palme d’Or winner at Cannes, is to bridge the gap between Kurdish directors and those from the rest of the world, facilitating cultural exchanges among nations all around the world.