Citadel film festival to screen short films in Erbil’s historical center

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A two-day film festival called Citadel Movie Nights will be shining a light on short films on July 9-10, showcasing a number of movies in Erbil’s historical city center in the official capital of the Kurdistan Region.

The festival is a project led by the German Goethe-Institut Irak, in cooperation with l’Institut Francais Erbil, Les Ecran De la Paix and the HCECR (High Commission Of Erbil Citadel Revitalization).

“The Citadel Movie Nights want to shed light on short films as an important step in the career of almost every filmmaker and at the same time as an independent art form,” Thomas Koessler, from the Goethe-Institut Irak, told Kurdistan 24.

“Short movies not only are a playground for young filmmakers to gain experiences and references. They also open worlds to the audiences in different ways than long feature films could do that,” he said.

“Thus, with these two film nights, we want to celebrate the short film [artform] and its potential for the careers of filmmakers all over the world,” including the Kurdistan Region. 

The festival will screen selected German, French, and Kurdish shorts.

There will also be a panel about the potential of short films during the second day hosted by Kurdish directors Jano Rosebiani and Shvan Atuf. 

Editing by Nadia Riva