ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Hoping to turn the Kurdistan Region into a prime cinematic destination, the Kurdistan Film Commission is at Cairo’s CineGouna Film Festival with a $2 million fund to attract international production.

The Kurdistan Film Commission is offering $2 million annually across two funding cycles for feature films, short films, documentaries, and series. It is promoting the grant at Cairo’s CineGouna, which is held alongside El Gouna Film Festival. The platform offers an opportunity for regional filmmakers to network and discuss project development and financing.

Bavi Yassin, president of the film commission, told The New Region that the Kurdistan Region offers “mountains, we have greenery, we have waterfalls, but we also have four seasons,” describing it as a different image from the Middle East’s deserts, which she called a “very cliche image.” 

“The cost of shooting a film in Kurdistan is one of the lowest in the region,” Yassin added, explaining that the locations are in close proximity and always around a two-hour drive away from an airport, making it more strategic and cost-effective for film crews. 

The Kurdistan Region can also be used as a “double” for other countries in the region, such as Syria and Turkey, due to its different areas, according to Yassin. She cited examples such as the Apple production “Tehran” being filmed in Greece and “Prime Number,” which is about Baghdad, being filmed in southern France. 

The fund granted by the Kurdistan Film Commission offers productions “soft incentives.” It covers three initial visits to the Kurdistan Region for location scouting as well as “unmatched” discounts for accommodation and free use of military vehicles, with the production crew only paying for maintenance. 

“For feature films, it can be up to $100,000. For short films, it's up to $10,000. For development, around $50,000. Co-production between $60,000 and $100,000. So it really depends on the stage of the film,” Yassin said.

The commission’s goal is to promote the Kurdistan Region through the audiovisual sector.

“Throughout the past few years we have been doing promotion for Kurdistan in a very wrong way. Politically, it does not reach the audience, it does not reach the entertainment industry, and it does not reach the real audience,” Yassin lamented.

“We talk to a mirror. It has no effect whatsoever. We have to talk to others. We have to talk outside our comfort zone, which is the thing that we are doing at Kurdistan Film Commission,” she added.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has made increasing efforts in recent years to diversify its revenue sources and make the Region an appealing destination for international businesses.