The 5th Rojava International Film Festival, held in Qamishlo city in the Cizir Canton of North-East Syria, under the theme “Shared Stories and Free Cinema,” continues on its sixth day of events.
The festival, which began on October 13, the 65th anniversary of the Amûde Cinema Massacre, will continue until November 20. The festival goes beyond being merely an artistic gathering, bringing the region’s collective memory, culture of resistance, and understanding of free cinema to the audience.
As part of the festival, a seminar titled “Cinema in the Shadow of War and Migration” was held at the Mihemed Şêxo Culture and Arts Center. The seminar, moderated by writer Mecîd Arslan, director Xerîb Hemûd, and filmmaker Ciwan Teter, saw a high turnout.
The seminar addressed the relationship between cinema and the phenomena of war and migration. Discussing the challenges faced by Rojava, North and East Syria, and the Syrian cinema in general between 2011 and 2024, the seminar explored how war has shaped cinema production both technically and thematically.
The seminar explained how filmmakers convey their war experiences through filmmaking and screenwriting, stating that cinema, as a collective labor product, has the power to reveal truths that lie outside the official history. The participants pointed out that cinema can be used both as a propaganda tool and to play a role in boosting the morale of society during periods of conflict. In this context, the productions of the Rojava Film Commune and films shot in the Afrin and Shehba regions were cited as examples.
The seminar was followed by the screening of a short film on the theme of migration. The festival program will continue with a total of 17 film and documentary screenings at the Mihemed Şêxo Culture and Arts Center and the TEV-ÇAND Center between 1:00 PM and 9:00 PM today.
Featuring a total of 81 films, the seven-day festival is hosting screenings at the Mihemed Shexo Center for Culture and Arts and the Tev-Çand Mesopotamia Cinema Hall in Qamishlo. The program includes 21 documentaries, 7 feature-length Kurdish films, 8 Syrian productions, 8 international feature films, and 37 short films. This year’s selection prominently highlights themes such as resistance, the pursuit of freedom, migration, and social struggle.
The festival will end with an award ceremony, where the categories and honorees will embody the spirit of revolutionary cinema. Among the five awards to be presented are the Democracy and Human Rights Award named after Sırrı Süreyya Önder, the Mazdek Ararat Labor in Cinema Award, the Menice Haco Courage of Free Women Award, and the Halil Dağ Free Cinema Award, each honoring not only artistic excellence but also a clear political stance.
Women directors and a women-centered cinematic language define the spirit of this year’s festival. The festival committee emphasizes that women have played an active role in every stage of the process, and that the festival’s films carry this perspective. It highlights that the Rojava Revolution itself is a women’s revolution.