Over the years, films have been used to inform, entertain, educate and provoke debate. It is in this spirit that IOM, the UN Migration Agency, launched The Global Migration Film Festival (GMFF) in 2016. The Festival features films and documentaries that capture the promise and challenges of migration, and the unique contributions that migrants make to their new communities.

The GMFF in 2018 includes MORE THAN 30 FILMS being screened IN OVER 100 COUNTRIES

You are cordially invited to attend the Global Migration Film Festival in Erbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, to take place in Relish Restaurant, located off of Gulan Street, behind the IOM office. 

Films include:

Tuesday, December 11, 6:30 PM

Abu Adnan–Adnan’s Father
Directed by Sylvia Le Fanu; 25 minutes
Sayid is a refugee doctor from Syria who has just received a Danish residence permit. We join him as he embarks on a new life in rural Denmark together with his son Adnan. At the same time as assimilating to a new country and learning a new language, he faces the challenge of maintaining his boy’s respect.

Homestories - Three Silblings and a War
Directed by Kathrin Eckert; 71 minutes
Homestories tells the story of three siblings who grew up in Bosnia Herzegovina; from a happy childhood to a forced migration to Germany that tore them from their home as they escaped a horrific conflict. 20 years after their separation, we learn of the effects on the siblings forced to leave, their parents who could not and of the family’s attempts to reconcile these realities.

Thursday, December 13, 6:30 PM

The Merger
Directed by Mark Grentell; 99 minutes
A former star footballer turned community outcast is persuaded to coach the struggling, local footy team in his small town in Australia. He recruits refugees to revive the team with hilarious results, and ultimately takes his community on a journey of change. Funny and moving, this film brings loveable characters and levity to a complex issue. Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwxhEp-CtnI

Monday, December 17, 6:30 PM

Mohamed, The First Name
Directed by Zairi Malika; 14 minutes
Mohamed is the most popular first name in the world. But, it is not always easy to carry it in the West. Mohamed, a 10 years old boy, relates why he didn't like his first name. His parents informed him that he was named after the messenger of Islam, Mohamed, who spread a message of peace and love.

Invisibles 
Directed by Xavier Satorra: 25 minutes
Mohamad, Bakri and Mireille explain from different points of view how the war in Syria radically changed their lives and brought them to Barcelona. The Nobel Peace Prize 2015 Ahmed Galai, describes the situation on the Arab Springs and Human Rights, and the international conflict of interests with the war in Syria and the humanitarian crisis of values in Europe. Trailer: https://vimeo.com/183011765

Unbroken Paradise
Directed by Juan David Romero; 26 minutes
A refugee of the Syrian Civil War flees to France, hoping to reconstruct his life after the war and become a professional architect. Trailer: 
https://vimeo.com/232256851

Short clips of five films created by young filmmakers in Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) will also be shown on 17 Dec., presented by the Kurdistan Regional Government Ministry of Culture, in order to recognize their creative efforts and films - among the best produced in KRI this year. 

For more information on GMFF visit:
http://www.iom.int/global-migration-film-festival

GMFF Trailer: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=4oc-9XKtp3E

Please RSVP to: Shallaw MOHAMMED
Communications and Visibility Consultant, IOM Iraq, 
Email: SHAMOHAMMED@iom.int,
Mobile: 00964 751 470 7565