11th Duhok International Film Festival Winners Announced

The Yılmaz Güney Award in Duhok Film Festival awarded to “Inshallah a Boy”

The winners of the competition of World Cinema and Kurdish Cinema in the 11th edition of Duhok International Film Festival have been announced in Kurdistan Region.

According to the report of Mansour Jahani, an independent and international cinema journalist, The closing ceremony of the 11th edition of Duhok International Film Festival was held at Duhok University’s Congregation Hall, in the city of Duhok, Kurdistan Region, attended by famous Kurdish singer Şivan Perwer, Siddiq Barmak, prominent Afghan film director living in France, Duhok governor Dr. Ali Tatar, Duhok Film Festival president Amir Ali Mohammed Tahir, the festival’s artistic director Shawkat Amin Korki, the jury members of the competition categories World Cinema and Kurdish Cinema, a number of filmmakers as well as cinema lovers. The winners in each section were announced and the Golden Leaf and Silver Leaf statues, plaques of appreciation, and the cash prizes were distributed amongst them.

World Cinema Competition:

The ceremony continued with members of the jury in the World Cinema competition including Ali Asgari, filmmaker and screenwriter from Iran as the jury president, Elif Ergezen, director, editor and cinematographe from Turkey, Kordo Doski, an Iraqi Kurdish director living in United States, Martina Sakova, director from Slovakia and Miraz Bezar, director and writer from Turkey, announcing the winners as follows:

– The Yılmaz Güney award includes a statue of this famous Kurdish director and an amount of $10,000 was granted to the feature film movie “Inshallah a Boy” directed by Amjad Al Rasheed (Jordan, France, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar).

– The New Talent Award including the Golden Leaf statues and the amount of $4000 was granted to the movie “One of Those Days When Hemme Dies” directed by Murat Fıratoğlu (Turkey).

– The jury’s special Mention was given to the feature film “Moon” directed by Kurdwin Ayub (Austria).

Kurdish Cinema Competition:

The members of the jury for the feature-length films in the Kurdish Cinema competition were the following: Barbara Lorey, journalist from France, as the jury president, Akam Rezaee, the director of visual effects, an Iranian Kurdish director living in United States, Hekmat Daoud, the set and costume designer from Syria, Mohamed Al-daradji, director from Iraq and Dr. Ghotbeddin Sadeghi, actor and theater director from Iran, announcing the winners as follows:

– The Best Film award including the Golden Leaf and the amount of $5000, was granted to the movie “When the Walnut Leaves Turn Yellow” directed by Mehmet Ali Konar (Turkey).

– The Best Director award including the Silver Leaf statues and the amount of $3000, was granted to the movie “A Happy Day” directed by Hisham Zaman (Norway).

– The Best Screenplay including the Silver Leaf statues and the amount of $2,500, was given to to Binevsa Berivan and David Lambert for writing the screenplay for the movie “The Virgin and Child” (Belgium).

– Korkmaz Arslan, was awarded the Best Actor prize; it included the Silver Leaf statues and the amount of $2000 for his performance in the feature film “When the Walnut Leaves Turn Yellow” (Türkiye).

– Hêvyn Tekin was awarded the Best Actress prize; it included the Silver Leaf statues and the amount of $2000 for his performance in the feature film “The Virgin and Child” (Belgium).

– The award for the best cinematographer; including the Silver Leaf statues and the amount of $2000, was granted to Lukasz Zamaro for the cinematographer or director the movie “A Happy Day” (Norway).

– The Jury’s Special Mention was given to Salah Qadi for her performance in the feature film “A Happy Day” (Norway).

Documentary Competition:

The jurors for documentaries competition were 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 and Zahavi Sanjavi, a documentary director and Kurdish filmmaker living in Sweden, they announced the winners of this section as follows:

– The Best International Documentary Award; including the Golden Leaf and the amount of $3000, was given to the feature-length documentary film “It Ain’t Where You Are From” directed by Philip Jamal Rachid (UAE, Bahrain, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia).

– The Best International Documentary Award; including the Golden Leaf and the amount of $3000, was given to the feature-length documentary film “Rojin is Dream” directed by Serwa Alivaisy (Iran).

– The Jury’s Special Mention was given to “Lions of Mesopotamia” directed by Lucien Reed (USA).

– The Jury’s Special Mention was given to “Our Ismail” directed by Fatin Kanat and Onder İnce (Turkey).

Short Films Competition:

The jurors for the category of shorts competition were the following: Gouri Nair, actor from India as jury president, Ali Hakim, an Afghan director living in Germany and Beliban Zu Stolberg, screenwriter from Germany and Kardo Mansur, filmmaker from Norway, they announced the winners of this section as follows:

– The Best International Short film Award; including the Golden Leaf and the amount of $2000, was given to “Factory Drop” directed by Petja Pulkrabek (Germany).

– The Best Kurdish Short film Award; including the Golden Leaf and the amount of $2000, was given to “Privacy” directed by Habib Zahirnia and Meysham Amiri (Iran).

– The Jury’s Special prize; the Silver Leaf statues and the amount of $1000, was granted to the short film “Home-Made” directed by Rojda Ezgi Oral (Turkey).

– The Jury’s Special Mention was given to “Ever Since, I Have Been Flying” directed by Aylin Gokmen (Switzerland).

– The Jury’s Special Mention was given to “Limo knew everything” directed by Edris Mahmoudian (Iran).

FIPRESCI Award:

The jury International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) comprises the were the following: Elena Rubashevska, director, journalist and film critic from Ukraine, Ergin Opengin, researcher and researcher from Turkey and Jim Slotek, film critic from Canada. They announced the winner of this section as follows:

– The FIPRESCI Award was given to the motion picture “A Happy Day” directed by Hisham Zaman (Norway).

The official Teaser of the 11th Duhok Film Festival:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrnPmYGIC3U