Last year marked the premiere of the Kurdistan Film Commission (initially known as the Kurdistan Film Commission Slemani before a broadening of activities) on the global film stage at Cannes. The world’s biggest film festival marked the coming-out party for the commission of the small semi-autonomous region in northern Iraq under the office of Deputy Prime Minister H.E. Qubad Talabani, who is the president of the organization. This year, he, Bavi Yassin, founder and chair of the film commission, and her team are back at Cannes for an encore.

The mission of the commission, located in the cultural hotspot city of Slemani, is to empower Kurdish creatives through training and support, bring foreign creatives to Kurdistan and establish it as a filming destination, and to help bring the region’s stories to the world.

Recruitment for staff, in Slemani, also known as “Suli,” and elsewhere, has been in full swing. For Cannes 2026, the team also packed some financial news. After last year signaling plans for a fund, the Kurdistan Film Fund was officially unveiled during a Wednesday event, entitled “Owning Our Story,” at the Cannes Marché. The fund is worth $2 million per year.

Talabani highlighted the uniting force of storytelling at the event, saying: “We want to show the world that despite political differences, despite regional tensions, or war, that cinema can cross those boundaries, that storytelling can unite where politics divides. This fund is not just an opportunity for Kurdistan. It’s a signal to the region that we see the momentum and that we want to be part of it, that we are willing to invest in the relationships, the collaborations, the partnerships that make this region stronger.”

The region has long considered itself a connector rather than a divider. “For centuries, Kurdistan has been a bridge between cultures, between civilizations, between worlds. That is our geography, that is our history,” he told the crowd. “We want to be a bridge, not a battlefield. We want to build, not destroy. We want to create an industry, an opportunity where there is currently division.”

The deputy prime minister also highlighted the importance of changing the narrative. “We have decided that today, Kurdistan stories will no longer be told by others on our behalf,” Talabani told the Cannes audience. “We will tell them ourselves, on our terms, with the depth and accuracy that only we can provide.”

And the film and creative sectors play a key role here. “They are essential parts, because how a nation tells its story determines how it is seen, how it is understood, how it attracts investment, talent and partnerships,” he said. “We are ready to be seen, to be understood, to be part of the global conversation, not as subjects, certainly not as victims of history, but as participants.”

Yassin also emphasized the focus areas of her work. “Kurdish films have always relied on external support, without a solid system of their own. The fund changes that by placing the Kurdish narrative at the center, wherever it is told in the world,” she tells THR. “It is not only about financing films – it is about creating ownership, continuity, and visibility for Kurdish stories on an international level. At the same time, it is designed to open the door for global creators and producers to engage with Kurdish talent and stories through meaningful collaboration.”

The goal: “to create a structure that supports our narrative, while also encouraging international interest – and ultimately, to start bringing that attention back to Kurdistan itself.” Fund evaluations will center on artistic merit, but not solely. “Projects are assessed on their international co-production potential, their ability to circulate, and their relevance to the local ecosystem,” shares Yassin. “We are looking for films that can connect Kurdistan with global partners while also contributing to the industry’s development on the ground.”

Attracting film and TV productions has both cultural and economic benefits, both near- and long-term. “For Kurdistan, this is about diversification,” highlights Yassin. “The audiovisual sector brings immediate economic activity – jobs, services, infrastructure – but beyond that, it builds long-term value. It shapes how a region is seen globally and opens the door to cultural tourism. When people see a place on screen, they connect with it. That connection creates curiosity, and over time, it translates into real interest in visiting and engaging with that place.”

But making Kurdistan appealing to filmmakers is multi-layered, she emphasizes: “It is the combination of authenticity, access, and cost effectiveness.”

Keep in mind that the treasure trove of stories from the region hasn’t been widely seen around the globe. “There is a strong narrative identity. Kurdistan offers stories, locations, and cultural depth that have not been overexposed,” emphasizes Yassin. “For European and Asian partners, this represents originality – something audiences have not seen repeatedly.”

Such authenticity meets access when it comes to location scouting, where Kurdistan can offer something new. “I have had professionals reach out to us, saying they are tired of the overused locations that always stand in for other countries they so much need,” the commission’s chair shares with THR. “Kurdistan is in the MENA (Middle East/Northern Africa), very accessible, and yet it has four proper seasons per year, a wide range of diverse locations, from extreme greenery to drylands, waterfalls, mountains and hills, rivers, and urban cities. These locations can stand in for Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, and so many more.”

Some experiences with surprised visitors even provided laughs. Yassin, for example, recalls taking people to some areas, “and they said, ‘It looks precisely like Ireland!’ Can you believe that: In the heart of the MENA, there is a country with corners that look like Ireland!”

Money, of course, is also a key consideration for productions. “This industry is very expensive,” Yassin knows, highlighting that Kurdistan “offers a cost-effective filming environment.” She even sees opportunities for collaborations with producers within the region. “How many times have we seen Egyptian films seeking locations in Europe for their greenery and landscapes, and how much does it cost them?” Yassin tells THR. “They can find it all right here.”

How about that efficiency argument? “Within a very compact geography, productions can access a wide range of locations – urban, rural, mountainous – without the logistical complexity or costs found in many other countries,” she notes. “This has a direct impact on budgets and timelines.”

But there are also production support and soft incentives, which she describes as “often underestimated,” given a traditional focus on cash rebate percentages. “What matters in practice is the total cost of production,” Yassin emphasizes. “In Kurdistan, facilitated permits, flexible coordination, access to locations, and overall lower operational costs make it highly competitive – even without relying solely on large rebate schemes.”

To ensure local talent has what is needed, the Kurdistan Film Commission Slemani has, over the past year, had all sorts of training, education and skills development initiatives. Among the events have been a five-day Kurdistan Producers Lab for producers and directors, covering film budgeting, financing, funding applications, and marketing, in collaboration with European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs (EAVE). There was also a four-day workshop on location management and scouting, led by John Rakich, president of the Location Managers Guild International (LMGI), and Andrea Keener, a LMGI board member and senior location manager, who has worked on such TV series as Cold Case and Scandal and such feature films as Ant-Man, Captain America, and Killers of the Flower Moon.

The commission plans to continue and expand its training opportunities. “This year, we will work with top professionals around the world and highly established institutions on scriptwriting, documentaries, and more focused professional training for crews, especially below-the-line,” Yassin tells THR. “We will also start our Suli Screens programs, which are free of charge film screenings all over the city.”

For productions looking to shoot in the region, the commission is offering a database of locations, including the likes of the archaeological remains of Bazyan, an ancient Christian site estimated to date back to the 6th century, the Red Prison Museum, a site formerly known for its brutality before being abandoned and reopened in 2003 as a museum, and Tuni Baba, a gorge known for its stunning scenery.

Yassin even has news of an international project to share. “We have a Canadian film production, Daudistan, coming this year,” she tells THR. A synopsis for the drama from writer-director Ariel Nasr on Cinando reads like this: “On the eve of Kabul’s fall to the Taliban, Afghanistan’s star runner Daud Ahmadi returns from a Canadian detention center to reunite with his sister Tayiba. Together, they must confront a city in collapse and fight to reclaim their shattered dreams before everything they love is lost forever.”

Yassin mentions “a few more [projects] in the pipeline, but the unexpected war in the region has affected production, not just in Kurdistan but across the entire MENA region.” Yes, the war in Iran has been the elephant in the room in the region, adding to worries around the Gaza war.

“I appreciate this question, because it goes beyond Kurdistan – it speaks to the reality of an entire region,” the film commission chair highlights. “The truth is, many countries in our region are affected by conflicts they are not directly part of. As Kurds, this is something we have lived with for decades. We are often carried by the consequences of wars that are not ours, yet we absorb their impact – politically, economically, and culturally. One of the first sectors to suffer is film: production slows down, and, more importantly, a region’s reputation—something that takes years to build – can be affected almost overnight. But there is another reality that is often overlooked. If you look at daily life in a place like Kurdistan, it is stable, functional, and safe. There is a disconnect between perception and reality, and part of our role is to correct that.”

This is why being at Cannes is important. “Our presence is a statement: that we are open, that we are building, and that we are not waiting for perfect conditions to start,” says Yassin. “In times of conflict, support for the arts is not secondary – it becomes essential. Culture is what preserves identity, what sustains people, and what allows a region to define itself rather than be defined by others.”

The Kurdistan Film Commission Slemani is also bringing filmmakers to Cannes to network and pitch their projects at the Marché du Film. And it is organizing the first-ever Kurdistan Producers Circle at its Cannes market stand. “We are selecting 10 projects,” explains Yassin. “They will have the opportunity to meet top established producers and present their work in a focused setting. This is not about visibility alone – it is about creating real connections and opening doors. …Importantly, as we reintroduce Kurdistan to the international industry, we are not limiting ourselves to the domestic market. We are selecting projects from across the wider region, not only Kurdistan. This is a deliberate choice. It reflects how we see our role: not only building locally, but positioning Kurdistan as a platform for collaboration.”

Concludes Yassin: “Ultimately, this is what we are doing – building bridges that did not exist before.”

And, she emphasizes, the commission has just barely started its work. “After one year since the official establishment of our film commission, I do not expect a mountain of productions coming our way. The fact that, in less than a year, we were contacted multiple times and considered for production gives me hope for what comes next,” Yassin tells THR. “Of course, welcoming foreign production is also my top priority, but people still don’t know us yet! All they know is stories related to sadness, war and politics. My main objective is to change people’s minds about how they see us. Once they do that, trust me, they won’t be able to resist the beauty and versatile location, and the enormous cost-effectiveness.”