“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.