DUHOK, Kurdistan Region - The 11th edition of the Duhok International Film Festival kicked off on Monday.

Held at the University of Duhok, the event will last for a week. 

Seven films, chosen from a pool of 570, are competing for a grand prize of $10,000.

"A large group of volunteers and staff from the festival have worked day and night so that their preparations and results come to this day. We have invited many guests from the Kurdistan Region, from Iraqi cities like Mosul and Baghdad as well as people from Europe, America, Asia and Africa," Majid Mohammed, Head of the Arabic Section of the Duhok International Film Festival, told Rudaw ahead of the event. 

The festival pays homage to Yılmaz Guney, the 1982 Palme d’or winner in Cannes. It aims to bridge the gap between Kurdish directors and the global community.

Amir Ali, president of the festival, said their plan for this year and the next year "revolve around what we can do for the future generations. That is why based on those decisions, we have made a number of changes. We want the audience of the next generations to see in a new way. This year we have made changes in attitude and format."

107 films from 31 countries will be screened throughout the week.