Rauf, as described on the festival's website, “is the story of a search under the shade of war and tough nature conditions. At the age of 11, Rauf finds himself in a big platonic love and tries to delight the girl who he loves in a colorless world. Pink is the hue of our story, loves that are dreamed to be experienced, sleeps that are waken up with tranquility, fraternity and amity. Therefore, Rauf seeks ‘pink’ everywhere.”
Rauf won the award for the best Kurdish feature film and the award for the best actor in a Kurdish feature film for the performance from Alen Gursoy.
Dust Cloth portrays the lives of two female Kurdish cleaners, Nesrin and Hatun, in Istanbul who are friends and neighbors. Nasrin's husband has left her and her daughter to survive on their own, while Hatun dreams of a new life.
Dust Cloth won the awards for best Kurdish screenplay, best Kurdish director for Ahu Ozturk, and the award for best actress in a Kurdish feature film – Nazan Kezal.
The Duhok Governorate Award for the best Kurdish film produced in the Bahdinan Region that includes Duhok province went to The Swallow by the award-winning Kurdish director Mano Khalil.
Khalil is from Syrian Kurdistan, Rojava. The film, set a few days before the Islamic State capture of the Iraqi city of Mosul, is about love, but is also political. “In our country, even love between two people is political. There is no space to breathe. It’s about terrorism, war crimes in Iraq and love,” Khalil told the Guardian when discussing his film.
My Paradise from director and producer Ekrem Heydo received the award for peace. Heydo is also from Rojava. His film depicts the lives of a few classmates during the 2011 Syrian revolution in the Kurdish city of Gire Spi.
The award for peace was given by the Cinema for Peace Foundation, a partner organization with the Duhok Festival. It is a non-profit organization founded to influence the perception and resolution of global challenges following the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States.
The Translator by Emre Kayis received the best international short film award. It is about a Syrian refugee boy who explores his new life in Turkey.
The Boss by Rizgar Husen collected the jury award for the best Kurdish short film. The story is built around a group of teenagers who lose their football field and swimming area. They decide to name a boss so that they can win back what they lost to a rival group, but the new boss becomes a dictator.
Here is the list of other films which received awards:
Award for the best international short film: Mothers by Maimouna Doucoure
Jury award for the best Kurdish short film: Shadow by Bulent Ozturk
Audience award for the best Kurdish feature-length film: House Without Roof by Soleen Yusef
Audience award for the best international feature-length film: Walking Distance by Alejandro Guzman
Award for the best Kurdish documentary: Callshop Istanbul by Sami Mermer and Hind Benchekroun
Talent award for the best first or second international feature-length film: Nahid by Ida Panahandeh
Yilmaz Guney award for the best international feature-length film: My Father’s Wings by Kivanc Sezar
Award for the best Kurdish documentary film: Gulistan, Land of Roses by Zayne Akyol
