Kurdish Film “In the Shadow” wins top prize at Duhok International Film Festival

Shafaq News – Duhok

The Kurdish film In the Shadow, directed by Salem Salavati, won the Golden Leaf Award for Best Kurdish Feature Film—the festival’s top prize—at the 12th Duhok International Film Festival on Tuesday evening, competing against 110 local, regional, and international entries.

The festival concluded its eight-day run with an awards ceremony attended by filmmakers, critics, and guests from several countries.

Festival media officer Hassan Aref told Shafaq News that In the Shadow secured the top award in the feature-length Kurdish film category. Actress Samira Haji received the award for Best Actress in Kurdish cinema for her role in Niqab, while Nazmi Krik was named Best Actor in Kurdish cinema. The Best Kurdish Director award went to Arash Rakhsha.

Aref added that the film The President’s Cake won the Yılmaz Güney Award, named in memory of Yılmaz Güney, the Turkish-Kurdish film director, screenwriter, and novelist.

In the short film category, the Kurdish film Mechanic won Best Film.

The 12th Duhok International Film Festival opened on November 9 and featured more than 100 films from around the world. Alongside screenings, the program included panel discussions and intellectual forums addressing contemporary issues in cinema.

This year’s festival was held under the theme “Drought and Climate Change,” aiming to connect cinema with global human and environmental concerns.