05-05-2025
Iran's Kurdistan province hosts photography festival
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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A photography festival was held in the Kurdish city of Sanandaj in western Iran (Rojhelat), bringing together over 120 photographers to hold workshops and display their work.
'A total of 120 photographers had submitted their work to the festival, but out of those 120 photographers, only 35 were selected to take photographs in Sanandaj over a three-day period and then submit their photos to the festival on the final day,' Younis Mohammed, a photographer and one of the Third National Sanandaj Photography Festival's jury panel, told Rudaw on Sunday.
Mohammed explained that he led a workshop focused on documenting war photography, sharing his experience and techniques with festival participants.
The festival ran from Tuesday to Saturday.
'On the second day of the festival, I conducted a workshop on how to comment on war photography or how to document war photography. The workshop focused on this topic, and many excellent photographers attended. There was a very good discussion, and it was very beneficial,' Mohammed said.
To mark the 389th anniversary of Sanandaj's founding by Soleyman Khan Ardalan, the city hosted a series of cultural events, including the photography festival.
Sanandaj's city council and municipality have designated April 26 as "Sanandaj Day" to celebrate the city's founding.
Mohammed, a Kurdish photographer born in 1968 in Duhok and now based in Erbil, has exhibited his work internationally, including in Iran, with a notable collection titled 'In the Name of Religion' focusing on the Peshmerga and the war against the Islamic State (ISIS).
In late 2021, he won third place and a bronze medal in the journalism and war category at the Tokyo International Foto Awards for his project on war-wounded individuals, and also received UNICEF's third prize for best photos of the year.
Pasar Fayeq contributed to this report.
