The films of competition of 11th Duhok International Film Festival were introduced

The films of competition section of 11th edition of Duhok International Film Festival were introduced and they compete with each other to win the Golden Hair Leaf award and prize of $10,000.

According to the report of Mansour Jahani, an independent and international cinema journalist, Duhok International Film Festival in memoriam of Yılmaz Güney, the 1982 Palme d’or winner in Cannes, is in an effort to bridge the gap between Kurdish directors and those from the rest of the world, facilitating cultural exchanges among the nations all around the world.

International Feature Film Competition

Saman Mustafa, the planning director of the International Cinema category of 11th edition of Duhok International Film Festival, at the press conference said, This year, we received 570 films through the film portal, by directors from different countries of the world, and we also selected some from International film festivals; Finally, nine films have been selected for the International Feature competition, the films in the section International Feature Competition compete for the Yilmaz Güney Award for the Best International Feature-Length Film and the New Talent Award for the Best First or Second International Feature-Length Film. The following titles are the entries:

Inshallah a Boy by Amjad Al Rasheed (Jordan, France, Egypt, Saudia Arabia, Qatar)

Sultana’s Dream by Isabel Herguera (Spain, Germany, India)

Empty Nets by Behroz Karamizad Iran, Germany)

Melody by Behrooz Sebt-Rasoul (Iran, Tadschikistan)

Moon by Kurdwin Ayub (Austria)

Faruk by Aslı Özge (Turkey)

Seeking Haven for Mr. Rambo by Khaled Mansour (Egypt, Saudia Arabia)

Andrea Gets a Divorce by Josef Harder (Austria)

One of Those Days When Hemme Dies by Murat Fıratoğlu (Turkey).

International Documentary Film Competition

He added, this year, the 7 selected films which compete for the Award for Best International Documentary Film. The following titles are the entries:

Lions of Mesopotamia by Lucien Reed (USA)

Silent Trees by Agnieszka Zwiefka (Poland)

The Words Women Spoke One Day by Raphaël Pillosio (France)

It Ain’t Where You are From by Philip Jamal Rachid (United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia)

Sick Girls by Gitti Grueter (Germany)

Immortals by Maja Tschumi (Switzerland, Iraq)

Al Djanat, the Original Paradise by Chloé Aïcha Boro (France).

International Short Film Competition

Theplanning director of the International Cinema category of 11th Duhok International Film Festival has stated, The 11 selected films compete for the Award for Best International Short Film. The following titles are the entries:

Lumen Naturae by Arthur Sukiasyan (Armenia)

Ever Since, I Have Been Flying by Aylin Gokmen (Switzerland)

Factory Drop by Petja Pulkrabek (Germany)

Punter by Jason Adam Maselle (South Africa, USA)

A Wedding Day by Achraf Ajraoui (France)

Home is 117 km Away by Marta Smerechynska (Ukraine)

Almost certainly false by Cansu Baydar (Turkey)

Who Loves the Sun by Arshia Shakiba (Canada)

Khabur by Nafis Fathollahzadeh (Iran, Germany)

Minus One by Ferhat Ozmen (Turkey)

21 Weeks Later by Nasrin Mohammadpour (Iran).

Competing to receive the 7 main prizes of the festival

Ravand Zaid, the planning director of the Kurdish Cinema category in Duhok International Film Festival, said in the press conference, from June 15, 2024, we started accepting works through Film Portal to participate in the 11th edition of this festival. Finally, on September 1, 2024, we received 180 Kurdish films; that after evaluation by the selection board of the festival, 46 films were selected in the final stage to participate in the competitive and out-of-competition of Panorama. After evaluation by the selection board of the festival, 46 films were selected in the final stage to participate in the competitive and out-of-competition of Panorama to receive the awards for the best film, best actor, best actress, best screenplay, best director, and award FIPRESCI, the International Federation of Film Critics, as well as the Duhok Governorship Award compete with each other.

Kurdish Cinema Feature Films Competition

He added, in the feature film category, eight films have been selected to enter the competition and vie for the awards. The following are the entries:

The Virgin and Child by Binevsa Berivan (Belgium)

Winners by Soleen Yusef (Germany)

When The Walnut Leaves Turn Yellow by Mehmet Ali Konar (Turkey)

Sakar by Ibrahim Saedi (Iran)

Hêvî by Orhan Ince (Turkey)

Caucher by Moshfegh shojaei (Iran)

Scenarist by Sami Sabah (Kurdistan Region)

A Happy Day by Hisham Zaman (Norway).

Kudish Cinema Documentary Film Competition

Ravand Zaid has stated, that this year, eight films have been selected to compete for the Best Documentary Award which are the following titles:

landless like the wind by Borhan Ahmedi (Iran)

The Grapes of Wrath by Maria Mavati (Iran)

Gelawe by Mohammed Hamzepour (Iran)

Rojin is Dream by Serwa Alivaisy (Iran)

Son of Mountain by Ehsan Karimkhani (Iran)

White Sheets by Zanyar Azizi (Iran)

GotûbêJin by Nimet Gatar (Turkey)

Our Ismail by Fatin Kanat and Önder İnce (Turkey).

Kurdish Cinema Shorts Film Competition

The planning manager of Kurdish Cinema category at the end of this press conference said, in the short film competition, twelve pieces have been selected to vie for the best prize which are as follows:

Morî by Yakup Tekintangaç (Turkey)

House of the Moon by Hamidreza Maghsoudi (Iran)

Beyond The Mind by Lanya Nooralddin (Kurdistan Region)

Son by Saman Hosseinpuor (Iran)

Untimely by Mohemed Abdulaziz (Kurdistan Region)

Privacy by Habib Zahirnia and Meisam Amiri (Iran)

Wall, the Wall by Yusuf Ölmez (Turkey)

Home-Made by Rojda Ezgi Oral (Turkey)

A House Near the Sun by Maryam Samadi and Roni Schamlian (Iran)

Limo knew everything by Edris Mahmoudian (Iran)

Garan by Mahsum Taşkın (Turkey)

Boars by Ramin Mohamadyar (Iran).

Screening of 107 films from 31 countries

Presided by Amir Ali Mohammed Tahir and artistic management by the Kurdish director, Shawkat Amin Korki, the 11th edition of Duhok International Film Festival 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.

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