Renowned film critic Meghachandra Kongbam has been appointed to the FIPRESCI International Jury for the 12th Duhok International Film Festival 2025, which will take place from December 9 to 16 in Duhok, in the Kurdistan Autonomous Region of Iraq. Kongbam departed Imphal on December 8 to participate in this notable festival. He will serve alongside Olivia Popp from Germany and Dr. Kovan Hussein Saado from Kurdistan on a jury that will adjudicate the prestigious International Critics’ FIPRESCI Prize, a significant accolade within the festival.
The Duhok International Film Festival is recognized as a leading cultural and cinematic event in the Middle East, highlighting films from around the world with a special focus on Kurdish culture, language, and identity, as well as the social realities experienced by the Kurdish people. The festival is driven by a humanistic ethos, emphasizing the role of cinema in promoting messages of unity and humanity, while seeking to transcend the narratives of violence and suffering.
In discussing his role in the festival, Kongbam expressed enthusiasm for engaging with the experiences of the stateless Kurdish people, emphasizing his interest in political cinema. He noted his intent to explore further the rich cultural identity of the Kurdish community and the various injustices they have encountered across Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria.
Festival authorities commented on their historic journey, underlining the initial challenges posed by oppression and violence that delayed the effective use of cinema as a form of expression. They currently champion cinema as a medium to share their narrative of humanity and historical sacrifices with a broader audience.
Regarding the jury members, Olivia Popp is an accomplished film critic and programmer pursuing her MA in Global Studies at Humboldt University in Berlin, and she actively contributes to Cineuropa and the International Film Festival Rotterdam. Dr. Kovan Hussein Saado brings with him over twenty years of media experience as a television producer and film critic, and has been involved in academia at the University of Silêmanî since 2014, focusing on Kurdish media discourse and film theory.
Meghachandra Kongbam is not only an esteemed film critic and academic from Imphal and Delhi but also a notable activist. Recognized with the Golden Lotus Award for Best Film Critic at the 63rd National Film Awards, he has extensively contributed to cinema writing for over four decades and serves as an Executive Member of FIPRESCI-India, as well as the President of the Film Society of Manipur. He is also the author of the book “Manipuri Cinema,” published in 2021.
