Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) today declared the winners of ‘Naya Jammu Kashmir Short Film Making Competition — an initiative to promote local talent and showcase the development in J&K.

The entries for the contest were shortlisted and judged by the jury comprising renowned Bollywood filmmakers Padma Shri Madhur Bhandarkar and Mrighdeep Singh Lamba.

Outstanding well crafted “Melting Stones” by Ompal Singh Sambyal secured the top rank in the contest followed by Sandeep Bhagal’s "I am Valmiki" and Sumaiya Mir’s "Women Athletes of Kashmir" clinching the second and third place respectively. The consolation prize winners include Atul Vinod Duggal for "Viksit Jammu Kashmir", Irtizah Yousuf and Mantasha Binti Zahoor for "Naya Kashmir" and Raghunandan Singh Charak for "Unicorn".

The selected films, showcasing the talent and creativity of the artists from Jammu and Kashmir, will be screened shortly.

Director Information and Public Relations, Jatin Kishore, congratulated the winners and the other participants of the completion. He also expressed gratitude towards the jury members for shortlisting and selecting the outstanding productions.

With this, the hugely successful and unique initiative of the Department of Information and Public Relations concluded on a very positive note.

The initiative was aimed at identifying local talent, encouraging them and giving them a platform to showcase their unique skills and immense potential to the fullest. The competition also envisaged showcasing of the positive developments and progress achieved in Jammu and Kashmir through the lens of local filmmakers.

The event caught the imagination of the local artists and filmmakers, who participated in large numbers in the competition with great enthusiasm.