ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Thirty five Kurdish films and documentaries will be displayed in the Russian capital city of Moscow in late July.
The five-day festival aims to promote cultural exchange between Kurds and Russians.
The Moscow Kurdish Film Festival (MKFF), the first of its type in Russia, will be held on July 21. It is organized by Berphin Design Group. Rudaw Media Network is one of the partners of the festival. It is also supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), according to a press release sent to Rudaw English by the festival.
The spectators “will see films reflecting Kurdish culture, history of the people, modern life and issues. Feature films, documentaries and short films participating in the film festival, filmed by directors from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Turkey and other countries, will be shown in their original language with Russian subtitles,” said the press release.
“Moscow Kurdish Film Festival is a historical cultural event for all Kurds of the world. Today, about 70,000 Kurds live in Russia. The festival contributes to the preservation of national identity, the development of the native language and national culture, as well as to share its historical and cultural heritage with other nations living in Russia,” said the MKFF.
The festival was originally scheduled for May of last year to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Victory in World War II, "in which many Kurds also participated," said Inna Tedzhoeva, the director of the festival.
"We hope that this year everything will be successful and the festival will become an important cultural event in Moscow," Tedzhoeva added.
Kurds from other parts of the world have also organized similar festivals in the past, such as the Global Kurdish Film Festival in London which provided more than 100 Kurdish films, classics and new releases online in April. This was their 12th edition.
