The 4th edition of Slemani International Film Festival with theme of "Earth Cancer" is slated to be held in Sulaymaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan on October 1-7, 2019.

Presided by Fuad Jalal, the festival is organized by Masti Film Company and Mullah Bakhtiar the official in charge of supporting the festival, Fuad Jalal, Festival Manger and head of Masti Film Company, Danar Omar Faris, Artistic Director Festival, Lina Raza, Program Director of the Festival and a number of prominent artists.

The films directors from 50 countries, especially the production of

2018 and 2019, in two sections including the World Cinema Competition (International); comprising feature and short films; documentary, animated and experimental, and the Kurdish Cinema (national) comprising feature and short works; documentary, animation and experimental will attend this international cinematic event.

In a meantime, several specialized cinematic workshops and academic meetings are also slated to be held on the sidelines of the festival at five cinema halls in Sulaymaniyah Kurdistan region.

Addressing the event, Mullah Bakhtiar expressed his satisfaction for holding the event in the past four continuous years.

Hailing Masti Film Company for its supports from the event, he added

that: "As I announced in the first round, I will continue to support the festival for six editions."

"Fortunately, I am pleased to announce that the festival has managed to receive many achievements and lure the cinema people from Kurdistan region and across the world."

Hailing all the artists and the officials in charge of holding the festival, he expressed hope that they do their best for holding this international cinematic event in a proper manner."

Addressing the same gathering, Lina Raza said: "This year we have focused a lot on the international film companies that distribute world-class cinema. For example, films that have won prestigious awards at world-renowned film festivals such as Cannes, Berlinale, Venice, etc., have been invited to this festival and their top films will be displayed by their representatives in attendance."

Commenting on the theme of the festival, she added that the top films of Cinema for Peace will also be displayed during the event.

 Lina Raza reiterated that 5,000 films was sent to the festival secretariat and eventually 150 films from 50 countries were selected to attend the event.

Fuad Jalal, for his part, added several directors have been invited to the festival, expressing hope that the event could become one of the most important cinematic events of the Middle East region.

Fuad Jalal reiterated that several films from Germany, France, Iran, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, Morocco, the Arab and European countries will be displayed during the event.

Addressing the same gathering, Danar Omar appreciated the organizers of the festival, adding that during the past three editions of the event, the festival has supported the production of five films.

He added the ground is properly prepared in the Kurdistan region for producing films.

The jury members of the festival will present 14 “Golden Pine” and a cash prize to the best feature best international film, best director, best screenplay, best movie, best movie that are participating in the international and Kurdish sections of the festival.

The international and Kurdish short film sections of the festival the special jury prize and the audience award will be given to the selected winners.

In the competition section of the short films "World Cinema" and "Kurdish Cinema", the best national film, best directing, best script, best documentary, audiences award, best national short film and special jury award to winners as well as four special awards by the Masti film Company will be awarded.

In this round of the festival, the late Iranian filmmaker Taha Karimi, who died on May 13, 2013 in a car accident in Sulaimaniyah, will be bestowed on the best film director by the deceased's family.