Worth Kwaish: The government grant is part of a plan to revive cinema in Iraq

The Iraqi government has allocated a large amount of a grant to support Iraqi cinema, and this was welcomed by Iraqi filmmakers, who have always doubted the absence of the government, represented by Iraqi artistic institutions, about supporting cinematic projects. A committee was immediately formed, under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, to sieve from cinematic projects and scenarios, and some of them selected to compete for this grant. The initiative will also promote its attendance with official participation in the Iraq pavilion, in the 78th session (May 24-24, 2025) for the Cannes Film Festival. On this issue, the Iraqi committee and cinematic council, Warth Kwaish, said that this initiative was a direct response to the demands of directors, producers and screenwriters, who suffer from lack of funding and lack of production, which led to a decline in cinematic activity in the country during the past years.
And Worth Kwaish added in an interview with “Al -Arabi Al -Jadeed” that “the grant submitted by the Prime Minister reflects a real commitment to revive the cinematic industry, especially in light of the economic and administrative challenges that prevented the aspirations of Iraqi filmmakers,” noting that “the absence of funding and lack of experience in international promotion made it difficult for Iraqi creators to achieve a global spread of their businesses, despite some individual successes that a number of directors managed Achieving it.
To ensure the good management and distribution of the grant in a fair manner, Kwaish explained that a committee was formed under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture, which is concerned with sifting projects and scenarios and choosing works that deserve support according to specific technical and cultural standards. He indicated that “the initiative is not limited to feature feature films, but also includes documentaries, short and long, in addition to projects in the development phase, which reflects a real desire to stimulate various cinematic production patterns in Iraq.”
On the importance of continuing support, Kwaish explained that Iraqi cinema has been experiencing for decades the absence of a clear strategy to finance cinematic production, which led to the reluctance of the private sector to invest in local films, given the absence of an active market capable of achieving rewarding financial returns. He pointed out that “the current initiative opens the door to encouraging the private sector to engage in cinematic production, by providing government grants that reduce investment risks and encourage productive partnerships.”
He also added that “government support is not limited to direct financing, but also includes providing logistical and administrative facilities that accelerate photography and production, in addition to providing an appropriate legal environment that guarantees the rights of creators and helps in marketing Iraqi films locally and globally.”
In a related context, Worth Kwaish stressed that “Iraq will formally participate in the market of the 78th session of the Cannes Film Festival (May 13-24, 2025), through a special pavilion that reflects the government’s orientation towards empowering filmmakers locally and internationally,” considering that “this participation will open new horizons for cooperation with international cinematic institutions, and contribute to highlighting Iraqi cinema in international forums.”
Kwish pointed out that Iraqi cinema still faces challenges at the level of distribution and promotion, as most Iraqi films that are produced do not have wide commercial offers, whether inside or outside Iraq. He said: “For this reason, it is necessary to think of an integrated strategy to support the cinematic distribution, by holding partnerships with international theaters and distributors, and organizing local cinematic festivals that contribute to highlighting Iraqi works and introducing the public.”
And on the mechanism of the work of the committee supervising the grant, Kwaish explained that it “depends on transparent and organized procedures, starting with the announcement of the opening of the application through various channels, to the evaluation stage that is conducted according to clear criteria that include technical quality, the expected cultural impact, and economic feasibility.” He added that “the committee, which includes experts in the fields of directing, photography, scenario and production, is not satisfied with choosing projects, but rather continues to implement them to ensure their use of support properly, which enhances the opportunities for Iraqi films to come out with high professional standards.”
Besides, Worth Kwaish stressed the importance of providing training programs and workshops for Iraqi cinematic, noting that “financial support cannot be sufficient if it is not accompanied by the development of directors and technicians, especially in light of the rapid technical developments in the global cinema industry.” He explained that “there is an urgent need to enable Iraqi filmmakers to use the latest technologies in photography and montage, in addition to encouraging them to develop their narrative methods to present competing films at the international level.”

At the end of his speech, Kwish stressed that “this initiative constitutes a basic step in building a sustainable cinematic industry in Iraq,” adding that “besides financial support, the government seeks to qualify the cinema infrastructure, support new generations of directors, and create a favorable environment for cinematic creativity.” He considered that “the initiative opens the door for Iraqi youth to fight the film industry, and enhances the Iraqi cultural identity through works capable of reaching the global public.”
With this trend, Kwish believes that “the initiative does not seem just a short -term attempt, but rather a first step in a long path to restoring Iraqi cinema to the front of the Arab and international scene, through policies to support a strong and sustainable cinematic culture.”