Kurdistan Hosts First International Cartoon Festival
The festival, held under the slogan “A Book Festival, A Life Festival,” brings together cartoonists and artists from around the world to celebrate books, Art, and culture.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Erbil is hosting the first International Cartoon Festival of the Mumtaz Haydari Library, bringing together cartoonists and artists from around the world in an initiative that seeks to connect art with knowledge and place books and reading at the center of a global artistic dialogue.
Held under the slogan “A Book Festival, A Life Festival,” the festival is taking place at the Mumtaz Haydari Library in Erbil and is open to artists from around the world.
Jabar Saber, the festival’s supervisor, told Kurdistan24 on Thursday, that the festival aims to use cartoon art to highlight the importance of books, reading, and science while honoring the life and cultural contributions of Mumtaz Haydari, a prominent Kurdish writer, journalist, and politician.
“The aim of the festival is to highlight through cartoon art the importance of books, reading and science, while honoring the life and cultural achievements of Mumtaz Haydari, a prominent Kurdish writer, journalist and politician,” Saber said.
He added that the festival also seeks to bring books and reading closer to society through “an artistic and universal language,” while strengthening the relationship between art and knowledge.
Saber said the competition consists of two main themes.
The first focuses on books, their importance, books in the age of technology, and the relationship between books and life.
The second is dedicated to caricature portraits of Mumtaz Haydari.
Saber said Haydari himself attached particular importance to caricature art and regarded it as an important part of culture, art, and journalism.
“Mumtaz Haydari himself attaches particular importance to caricature art and considers it an important part of culture, art and journalism,” Saber said. “Therefore, the portrait section of the festival has been specifically dedicated to drawing caricatures of this figure.”
The festival’s slogan, “A Book Festival, A Life Festival,” is intended to underline the broader message behind the initiative.
“We want to deliver a clear message by choosing the slogan ‘A Book Festival, A Life Festival’: a book is not merely a collection of pages, but a source of knowledge, awareness and the making of human beings,” Saber said.
According to the festival’s participation rules, artists from around the world can enter the competition, with each artist allowed to submit up to two works for each theme.
Works may be submitted in color or black and white and must be in A3 format at a resolution of 300 DPI and submitted in JPEG format.
The portrait section will offer three prizes: $500 for first place, $300 for second place, and $200 for third place.
The festival also prohibits the use of artificial intelligence in submitted works.
“Works created using artificial intelligence will not be accepted into the competition,” Saber said, adding that participants must include their name and country alongside their artwork.
The festival’s organizing committee will have the right to use selected works for advertising, publication, exhibitions, and promotion on social media.
Artists whose works are selected for display will receive a digital catalog as well as a digital certificate of participation.
Saber said the festival represents an effort to create a new platform for Kurdish cartoon art and connect Kurdish artists with cartoonists from around the world.
“This festival is an effort to open a new window for Kurdish cartoon art and connect Kurdish artists with cartoonists around the world, while at the same time making books, reading and culture the center of its artistic message,” he said.
The initiative places the Mumtaz Haydari Library at the center of an international artistic event while linking its cultural mission to cartoon art and the promotion of reading and knowledge.
Mumtaz Haydari was born in 1938 and is regarded as one of the well-known Kurdish cultural and journalistic figures.
Throughout his life, he served writing, journalism, and cultural activities, dedicating part of his financial resources and life to supporting libraries and promoting knowledge and culture.
The festival is being held at the Mumtaz Haydari Library in Erbil with the participation of cartoonists and artists from around the world.
The deadline for artists to submit their works is Oct. 10, 2026.