Artin Crown Productions

The Kurdistan Region of Iraq is a beautiful and exotic destination for filmmakers. From dry desert areas to magnificent mountains, old villages, modern cities, ancient castles, and temples - everything in your imagination is portrayable in this region. The variety of resources available in the region has also made it a valuable spot for filming. Having access to qualified production managers and location scouters that facilitate the processes of obtaining filming permits makes the mountainous region a perfect filming destination for filmmakers. In the past decade, the demand for filming in Kurdistan has increased from international and local filmmakers.

Here are some of the most popular filming locations in Kurdistan:

• Duhok: Duhok is a city located in the north part of Iraq, and has been popular for film-making for its beautiful landscape and scenic mountains. The retention rate of international filmmakers shooting in Duhok is increasing due to the city’s beautiful variation of scenery. Kurdish-Swiss director (Mano Khalil) filmed his last two films "The Sparrow" in 2015 and "The Neighbors" in 2021 in Duhok. Another notable film was "The Milan Protocol" by German Director (Peter Ott) which was filmed in Duhok. At least 14 feature films were filmed in Duhok within the past 10 years.

• Erbil: Another popular city in Kurdistan is Erbil, which houses many important historical sites including the ancient Erbil Citadel. There are also many beautiful waterfalls and rivers in the city which are great places for filming. However, the city saw an increasing demand for filming Arabic drama series in the past years and not only films. Nevertheless, both foreign and Kurdish filmmakers regularly choose Erbil as a filming destination. An example is the Academy Member Kurdish director "Sahim Omar Kalifa", who has chosen Erbil to shoot the feature film "Baghdad Messi" which is scheduled to be shown in 2023.

• Sulaymaniyah: One of the most popular tourist places in Kurdistan is the city of Sulaymaniyah. There are numerous different tourist attractions in the city such as waterfalls, valleys, and more. The cultural movement and filmmaking scene are very vibrant, and many important Kurdish films were filmed there. Sulaymaniyah’s Dukan lake is one of the most popular destinations for films with marine scenes. The mountains in the Qaradagh and Sharbazher areas are popular for shooting films as well. Films such as "Sculpture of the Heart" by Shwan Atoof and "Zero Nine" by Bakhtyar Fattah successfully achieved their cinematography targets with their newly brought genres to Kurdish films, which are action, thriller, crime as well as music and drama.

• Amedi: The town of Amedi is one of the most epic and picturesque towns around the world. It often appears in the top ten ratings of the most beautiful towns around the world, competing with Italy's Manarola and Spain's Albarracin. Amedi is not expandable for its unique geographical spot, but your perfect drone shot falls there! Not only the town itself, but the villages surrounding it have also earned a lot of popularity for filming drama, music videos, and films. Twelve years ago, Kurdish filmmaker Hisham Zaman filmed his "Before Snowfall" in five countries: Kurdistan Region, Turkey, Norway, and Germany. He chose Amedi’s surrounding village of Pirozana in Kurdistan and so did Kurdish artist Agreen Dilshad ten years later! Agreen also chose Pirozana village to film his multi-million viewed music video "Ha Zravike" with more than 300 extras and featuring a Kurdish wedding from the mid-1990s.

• Koya: This historical town is located close to the Iranian border on the east side of the Kurdistan Region. There are many historic ruins that can be found in Koya, including an ancient mosque and a Zoroastrian temple. The town of Koya is full of fascinating history and culture. It has a unique topography that makes it a perfect set for historic scenes. One of the most renowned productions that were filmed in Koya was “Bekas" by Karzan Kader in 2011.

Kurdistan Region is a producer of a vast number of films. As its movie industry is just starting to develop, the region does not lack locations for your films and documentaries. The rich cultural landscape and nature that surrounds it provide a wealth of visual potential for your films and projects. Whether you require a view of nature or an artificial set, we are happy to help you capture that perfect shot. We welcome local and international filmmakers to join us in capturing the beauty of the Kurdistan Region and showing it in their films.