Duhok International Film Festival

The Duhok International Film Festival (Duhok IFF) is an annual film festival that takes place in Duhok, a city located in the Kurdistan Region (an autonomous region of Iraq mainly populated by the Kurds). It was first held in 2011 as the Kurdish Film Festival.

Kurdistan occupies a big part of former Mesopotamia, a historical region roughly corresponding to most of Iraq plus Kuwait and parts of Syria, Turkey and Iran. Ancient Mesopotamia is often referred to as the cradle of civilization because of its rich culture, sophisticated and elaborate art, monumental buildings, and as the place where the concept of writing was conceived and developed. The culture of ancient Mesopotamia had a profound effect on the development of Western culture.

Sadly, today Kurdistan is primarily known for the Iraqi—Kurdish conflict. The Duhok International Film Festival was founded in order to revive the cultural identity of the region, so that it is seen again as a place of development instead of a place of political conflict. The festival was launched by the Ministry of Culture and Youth of the Kurdistan Regional Government in 2011.

Main goals of the Duhok IFF are to introduce wide audiences to innovative films of high artistic value from around the world, to promote the positive image of Kurdistan, and to create a safe and peaceful atmosphere for cultural exchange. During the festival, Duhok becomes a meeting point for civilizations, where ancient culture meets modern culture and the Kurdish film industry gets a chance to integrate into international filmmaking.

The Duhok International Film Festival strives to build bridges between Kurdish filmmakers and the worldwide film industry. Its organizers want to make the festival a launch platform for emerging Kurdish film directors, offering them an opportunity to learn from more experienced colleagues and to find new audiences both in Kurdistan and abroad.

The program of the Duhok IFF consists of several sections, such as World Cinema, Kurdish Cinema, and Focus. World Cinema and Kurdish Cinema are competitive sections, with awards presented by a jury in various categories. Focus showcases films from the current year’s country in spotlight. Along with these three sections, the program also includes special screenings, panels, and workshops.