- Says “This is an attempt is to institutionalise the festival like Cannes”
“Festival aims to revive J&K’s cinematic legacy, promote local talent & boost film tourism
Irfan Yattoo
Srinagar| Sept, 5: Jammu and Kashmir will host its first International Film Festival from Monday, bringing together 135 films from more than 40 countries as the administration seeks to revive the Valley’s long-standing association with cinema and position the region as a destination for filmmaking and film tourism.
The four-day International Film Festival of Jammu & Kashmir (IFFJK), scheduled from September 7 to 10 under the theme Rang-e-Cinema, has received around 1,100 entries from 92 countries. A preview committee shortlisted 135 films for screening.
The festival, organised by the Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), will bring more than 300 delegates, including filmmakers, industry professionals, academics and students, to Jammu and Kashmir.
Joint Director DIPR Shahnawaz Bukhari said the government’s larger objective was to restore Kashmir’s place in the country’s cinematic landscape.
“The connection between Bollywood and Kashmir is a natural one and should be strengthened,” Bukhari told reporters. He said the decline in film shootings in J&K over the years had affected the region’s film tourism potential, which the administration was now seeking to revive.
“We want to bring Kashmir back into the frame. We would like J&K to become the film frame, rather than merely being a backdrop for films,” he said.
The festival is also being positioned as an annual platform. Bukhari said the government wanted to institutionalise the event and sustain it in the manner of established international film festivals.
The programme goes beyond film screenings, with masterclasses, workshops, panel discussions, roundtables, in-conversation sessions and cultural performances planned during the four days.
The principal venues will be the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) and INOX in Srinagar. A dedicated programme is also planned in Gulmarg, while a floating cinema on Dal Lake is expected to form one of the festival’s distinctive attractions.
For students and emerging filmmakers, the organisers have planned interactions with established filmmakers, academics and other industry professionals. Officials said the initiative is aimed at creating exposure for local talent while opening avenues for collaborations.
The festival carries a total prize purse of Rs 96 lakh across nine categories. The Best Film award carries Rs 25 lakh, while Best Director and Best Debut Film of a Director carry Rs 15 lakh each. The Best Film—J&K Select award has a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh.
The competition and screening programme includes International Panorama, Bharat Panorama, Cinema of the World, Documentary, Hybrid Documentary and J&K Select sections.
The administration is also using the festival to showcase J&K’s tourism infrastructure and cultural landscape to visiting delegates.
In Gulmarg, the Development Authority has prepared an itinerary covering the resort’s landscape, adventure activities, hospitality facilities, local culture and tourism infrastructure.
Authorities have also focused on cleanliness, sanitation, healthcare and emergency response arrangements, besides beautification and branding along the Narbal-Gulmarg route.
Preparations are underway at Dal Lake as well, with officials reviewing cleanliness and its overall presentation ahead of the arrival of filmmakers and guests.
For the administration, the festival is therefore not only a four-day cinematic event but an attempt to link filmmaking with tourism, local creative talent and the wider cultural economy of Jammu and Kashmir.
The larger test, however, will be whether the festival can evolve into a sustained annual platform and translate the renewed interest in Kashmir among filmmakers into regular shoots, investment and opportunities for local talent.
