Duhok International Film Festival postponed until next year due to COVID-19

The eighth annual Duhok International Film Festival that was slated to be held in September will be postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus threat, the festival management announced on Friday.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The eighth annual Duhok International Film Festival that was slated to be held in September will be postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus threat, the festival management announced on Friday.

The decision comes as the Kurdistan Region and Iraq as a whole witnesses a spike in the number of new infections, likely due to recently relaxed COVID-19 restrictions. On Saturday, the regional health ministry said in a statement that it had tested 1,491 individuals for the disease over the past 24 hours, a notable high compared to an average of close to 1,000 in previous days. Of the total, 31 samples came back positive.

Read More: Kurdistan reports 31 new coronavirus cases; Iraq tops 6,000

As of today, the Kurdistan Region has confirmed 606 cases of the highly-infectious disease since it began spreading around the world, 31 of which were recorded in Duhok province, which currently has 12 active cases remaining its COVID-19 treatment centers.

“We are sorry to announce that the 8th Duhok International Film Festival has to be cancelled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic,” read a statement released by the event's organizers, adding that they did “not want to endanger the health of all guests, festival staff, and any society.”

As various population centers reopened and more people became infected with the virus, top government officials in the Kurdistan Region reiterated calls for the public to strictly adhere to health safety guidelines as outlined by relevant authorities. On Friday, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani added his voice to the sentiment.

Read More: Kurdistan PM warns that lax attitude toward COVID-19 measures is causing spike in cases

The Duhok International Film Festival's mission is to honor cinematic work in all four parts of Greater Kurdistan, in the nations of Iraq, Turkey, Iran, and Syria, forging connections between Kurdish filmmakers and the international community.

Last year's festival took place in September under the banner of “Tolerance, with several Kurdish and foreign filmmakers participating.

Editing by John J. Catherine