Prepared by: Shana Qasim
Photography: Hozan Basho
Special/ Geostrategy Studies Network
The **Kobani International Film Festival** is a prominent artistic event that seeks to promote cinematic arts in the Kurdish community and connect Kurdish cinema with the world. In its fifth session, held in **Germany**, the festival continued to strengthen its position as a unique platform for Kurdish and international filmmakers. Despite major challenges, including lack of resources, the festival was able to achieve great achievements that pushed Kurdish cinema towards the global arena, while highlighting humanitarian and cultural issues from a Kurdish perspective. The festival also witnessed the active participation of **Syrian artists affiliated with the opposition**, which added an important political and cultural dimension.
Background of the festival:
First session / 2020 /: The first session was launched online in 2020 as the beginning of the project and achieved remarkable success with the participation of a number of films.
Second session/2021/: The activities of the second session of the Kobani International Film Festival were held on August 29, 2021 in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, during an artistic ceremony attended by an elite group of directors, filmmakers, artists and intellectuals, where awards were distributed to the winners and an elite group of artists and directors were honored and celebrated.
Third session 2022: It was the first session named after the great director and filmmaker "Yilmaz Gune", where the nominated films were screened and discussed by directors and film critics, and at the end the awards were distributed in a wonderful festive atmosphere.
Fourth session 2023: After the curtain fell on the fourth session of the Kobani International Film Festival, which was distinguished from its predecessors in terms of organization, attendance, and quality of the participating works; The festival achieved important results by highlighting these experiences and works.
Fifth session /2024/: This session witnessed a remarkable development on all levels, with the attendance of a large number of artists and interested parties from different parts of the region and the world. The festival's activities have developed remarkably in terms of the diversity of cultural and artistic events, including theatrical and musical performances and art workshops, in addition to film screenings and art exhibitions.
This artistic and cultural gathering was an opportunity to enhance interaction between artists and the public, as artworks were presented that reflect the issues of society and its history, in addition to the exchange of experiences between local and international artists. The festival also contributed to strengthening the cultural identity of Kobani as a city with a rich history and a special place in the Kurdish and international art scene.
Executing Committee
The great success achieved by the executive committee of the Kobani Festival in its fifth session reflects the dedication and high organization with which the committee worked. The committee was able to provide a distinctive and comprehensive experience that combined various arts, such as music, cinema, theater and plastic arts, which contributed to attracting a wide audience from different cultural backgrounds.
In addition, good planning and precision in implementing the program played a major role in running the festival's activities smoothly and without any notable obstacles. Many attendees and participants also praised the high professionalism shown by the committee, starting from hosting artists and organizing events to media coverage. This success would not have been possible without the continuous efforts and close coordination between the various parties participating in organizing the festival, which made the fifth session a bright spot in the history of the Kobani Festival.
Jury members "Fifth session"
Joseph Stephen: An expressive actor in the Hollywood cinema scene, who has performed expressive roles in American cinema.
Adalt R. Garmiani: An expert in strategic cultural partnerships, the founding director of ArtRole, an artist and film director, a writer, supervisor and consultant on the role of art and culture in conflict and post-conflict areas
Eddie Sanchez: A former Marine and a multi-talented producer and writer, he has made a splash in both the literary and cinematic fields, through notable achievements including co-producing the feature film “In Fidelity”.
Jano Rojbiani: A Kurdish filmmaker from the town of Zummar in Iraqi Kurdistan, he has won numerous international awards and is listed among the world's top 35 filmmakers in the book "Cineaste Uit De Schaduw" (Filmmakers from the Shadows) by the famous Belgian photographer Chris De White.
The fifth session is dedicated to the Kurdish director “Taha Karimi”
He is a Kurdish writer and screenwriter, born in 1978 in the city of Bani, eastern Kurdistan/Iran. He has many documentaries such as (Borders of Zin, Hurricane, Dance of Pearls, White Slopes), in addition to writing the screenplay for the film (Slopes of Qandil) and directing the film (I am a White Mercenary). He died on June 1, 2013 in a traffic accident in Sulaymaniyah, his body was transferred to Iran.
He has several documentaries documenting the injustices of the Kurds, the latest of which was "A Thousand Apples and Apples", which won an award at the "Genocide" Documentary Festival in the city of Sulaymaniyah a month before his death. In 2012, Taha Karimi also participated in the "Dubai International Film Festival", the "Gulf Film Festival", and the "Ismailia Film and Short Film Festival" with his feature-length documentary film "I am a White Mercenary", which won awards.
Opening
The festival began with the screening of the film "Yek Momek Do Momek" by the Kurdish Hollywood director Jano Rojbiani, a feature film that represents an important addition to Kurdish cinema, as it deals with the manifestations of violence against women, and the nature of social injustice within Kurdish society through a black comedy style.
The participation of the famous Kurdish singer Khairo Abbas came through his performance of a number of his distinctive songs, to give an artistic touch to the festival and as a start to the launch of the fifth edition.
Attendance at community events
This session was marked by a large attendance of civil society representatives and activists in several fields, in addition to well-known Kurdish artists on the European scene, and a number of Kurdish and Arab journalists and media outlets.
Presence of Syrian artists affiliated with the opposition
The fifth session witnessed a remarkable presence of a number of Syrian artists affiliated with the opposition, who expressed their solidarity with the Kurdish people and their issues. These artists used the festival as a platform to express issues of freedom and justice, and to present artistic visions that reflect their suffering from the Syrian conflict. The presence of these artists added an additional political dimension to the festival, as many of the films shown focused on the topics of conflict, asylum, and the struggle for freedom, whether in the Syrian or Kurdish context.
While their interventions focused on the festival’s contribution to building bridges of love, peace, and rapprochement between the Syrian peoples, in addition to strengthening artistic cooperation between the Kurds and other Syrians: The presence of Syrian artists affiliated with the opposition reflects the spirit of solidarity and cooperation between the Kurdish and Arab peoples in light of the difficult circumstances.
Challenges and constraints:
Despite the success achieved by the festival, it faces major challenges, most notably:
- **Lack of financial resources**: which limits the technical and production capabilities of participating filmmakers.
- **The complex political situation**: especially in Kurdish areas, which limits the ability of artists to access international festivals.
- **Organization abroad**: Holding the festival in Germany was a result of the difficult conditions in the region, but this imposes additional logistical challenges.
Achievements:
Despite the challenges, the festival has achieved several notable accomplishments:
1. **Highlighting Kurdish cinema globally**: The festival has provided a platform for Kurdish artists to showcase their work to an international audience.
2. **Expanding international partnerships**: The festival, with its location in Germany, has been able to attract wider media and public attention, which has contributed to raising the profile of Kurdish cinema.
#### The festival’s impact on Kurdish cinema:
The Kobani International Film Festival has played a major role in developing Kurdish cinema on several levels:
- **Building a distinct cinematic identity**: Kurdish films reflect the experiences and challenges of the Kurdish people, and enhance their artistic identity.
- **Enhancing cooperation with Syrian artists**: Cooperation between Kurdish and Syrian filmmakers has created a shared artistic space, expressing common issues related to freedom and justice.
- **Inspiring new generations**: The festival is a source of inspiration for young filmmakers, both Kurdish and Syrian, emphasizing that art can transcend political borders.
Some of the films screened
Festival Awards "Fifth Session":
• The best Kurdish Film Award
Film: Son
Director: Saman Hosseinpuor
• The best Film Award
Film: Bitter Sweetness (Syria)
Director: Zaher Kusaibati
• The Best Documentary Film Award
Film: Afrat (Kurdish)
Director: Mikael Rahmani
• The Best Animation Film Award
Film: In Half (Spanish)
Creator: Jorge Morais Valle
• The Best Director Award
Director: Armin Keshvari
Film: Death Anniversary (Iranian)
• The Best Acting Award
Actress: Marie Alexandre (French)
Film: DIOGÈNE (French)
• The Best Screenplay Award
Writer/Director: Davood Rahmani
Film: The Closet (Iranian)
• The Best Cinematography Award
Film: Fiabexit (Italian)
Cinematographer: JAB
Conclusion:
The **Kobani International Film Festival** in its fifth edition remains a major achievement in the journey of Kurdish cinema towards the world, highlighting the challenges facing the Kurdish and Syrian peoples. Holding the festival in Germany and the presence of Syrian artists from the opposition added a deep political and cultural dimension to the festival, which helped expand the horizons of artistic dialogue. In light of these achievements, the festival remains an important artistic platform that seeks to enhance the Kurdish cinematic identity and provide a space for cooperation and cultural exchange between different communities.
Note: Some of the photos in the report were taken from the festival page.
