At the 5th International Rojava Film Festival, a planned seminar was canceled at short notice because Egyptian film critic Essam Zakaria was denied entry to Syria. Zakaria, who also works as a journalist, director, and lecturer and was artistic director of the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) in 2024, was scheduled to hold a seminar in Qamishlo in northeastern Syria on Friday. According to the organizers, the seminar, entitled “The Four Tasks of Cinematic Art,” was removed from the program after authorities of the Syrian transitional government prevented Zakaria from entering the country without giving any reason.
Festival with a political message
The festival, which opened on November 13 at the Mihemed Şêxo Culture and Arts Center, has the motto “A shared history, free cinema.” It is jointly organized by the Rojava Film Commune and the cultural movement TEV-ÇAND. The second day of the festival opened with a screening of the film “Kobanê.” The feature film deals with the armed resistance against the terrorist militia “Islamic State” (ISIS) in the northern Syrian city of Kobanê in 2014. It was directed by Özlem Yaşar, with a screenplay by Medya Doz. The film, which runs for over two hours, was produced by the Rojava Film Commune in 2021.
Goal: Exchange and self-empowerment
The Rojava Festival sees itself not only as a cultural platform, but also as a contribution to the development of a distinct, emancipatory film culture in the region. It showcases productions from Kurdistan, the Middle East, and other parts of the world. The festival management invited Essam Zakaria, a prominent representative of Arab cinema, to promote exchange between regional and international filmmakers.
The films to be screened today are as follows:
1:00 PM – 1:20 PM – Mother (short film)
1:45 PM – 2:00 PM – Ezda (documentary)
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM – Enough is Enough (short film)
5:30 PM–6:00 PM – Benchless (short film)
6:30 PM–6:50 PM – Bottleneck (short film)
7:00 PM–7:15 PM – Salt Sellers (short film)
7:00 PM–9:30 PM – Ropewalker Memories (feature-length international film)
The festival will continue until November 20.