Kashmir Impulse Desk
Srinagar, Sep 06
Jammu and Kashmir will host its first International Film Festival from September 7 to 10, as the government seeks to revive the region’s historic links with Bollywood and promote it as a destination for film production and tourism.
The International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir (IFFJK) has received 1100 entries from 92 countries, with 135 films from more than 40 countries selected for screening.
The festival will be centred at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre in Srinagar, with additional activities planned at INOX Srinagar and a day-long programme in Gulmarg.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has described the festival as part of a broader effort to rebuild Jammu and Kashmir’s relationship with the film industry and encourage film production in the region.
Shahnawaz Bukhari, joint director at the Jammu and Kashmir Department of Information and Public Relations, said the festival was intended to allow filmmakers, students, and local media professionals to interact with established figures from the industry.
The programme will include film screenings, master classes and panel discussions involving filmmakers, media professionals and academics.
A separate category has been created for films from Jammu and Kashmir, with awards to be announced at the closing ceremony.
The government plans to make the festival an annual event, with the longer-term aim of attracting filmmakers and industry professionals to the region.
The administration has appointed 25 Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service officers as liaison officers for visiting dignitaries, delegates and other guests.
Bukhari said the government’s objective was to shift the perception of Kashmir from being merely a subject of films to becoming a location where films are made, helping develop film tourism and the wider creative economy.
