ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — The third Duhok International Film Festival launched Wednesday with the planned participation of several directors and film producers from Iran and Israel in Congress Hall at the University of Duhok.

According to Rudaw correspondent Darbaz Younis, 45 countries have planned to participate in the festival, with 100 actors, directors and film producers from around the world.

The festival is a seven-day event with 143 scheduled film showings, including 44 Kurdish films.

Two Oscar contenders, “Timbuktu” from Mauritanian director Abdurrahmane Sissako, and “Memories on Stone,” directed by Zakho native Shawkat Korki, will also be screened.

Attendance is free for displaced families, while tickets for the general public are 3,000 Iraqi dinar ($2.50).

The film festival’s logo this year is a grape leaf and evil eyes, representing Duhok standing strong against all odds.

A major task of the festival is to build a bridge between Kurdish film production and worldwide filmmaking. Organizers hope to create a launch platform for films from Kurdistan, taking the pulse of new tendencies and offering the opportunity to explore contemporary filmmaking.

According to Younis there will be 14 awards, and the most important one is the Yilmaz Güney Award given to the best film in the festival.

Rudaw