Shawkat Amin Korki was born in Iraqi Kurdistan in 1973. To join his family, he was forced by Iraqi militia to flee to Iran where he stayed until 1999. During his years in Iran and afterwards when he returned to Iraqi Kurdistan, he began to work for the theatre, television and cinema. His short films, made between 1997 and 2005, have been presented at many international festivals to excellent reception and have won several awards. In 2002, he helped organise the first Erbil Short Film Festival. Crossing The Dust, his first feature film, was shown at the International Film Festival of Rotterdam in 2007.
The Asia Pacific Screen Academy expresses its respect for and acknowledgement of the South East Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. We pay our respects to the Traditional Owners of country, including the custodial communities on whose land works are created and celebrated by the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. We acknowledge the continuing connection to land, waters and communities. We also pay our respects to Elders, past and present. We recognise the integral role Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and First Nations peoples continue to play in storytelling and celebration spaces.
