Five films directed by filmmakers from Jammu and Kashmir have been selected for the J&K Select Section, the competitive category of the first International Film Festival of Jammu & Kashmir (IFFJK), 2026.

The selection was made on the recommendations of the festival’s Preview Committee after reviewing submissions and assessing their artistic merit and suitability for the competitive section. The films offer a diverse mix of narratives and genres, with stories deeply rooted in Kashmir’s cultural heritage, social realities and human experiences.

The selected films are Searching for the Grandpa, directed by Mohammad Wali; Arifa, directed by Rohin Ravendran Nair; Batt Koch (The Lost Lane), directed by Siddarth Koul and Ankit Wali; Tasrufdaar (Djinns of Kashmir), directed by Kapil Mattoo; and Naqsh-e-Daur (The Story of Ghulam Nabi Dhar), directed by Baba Tassaduq Hussain.

Spanning Kashmiri and Hindi, the films explore themes of childhood, family, memory, displacement, identity, heritage and resilience, while portraying the changing social landscape of Kashmir.

Searching for the Grandpa follows two young siblings in a Kashmiri village during Eid, while Arifa centres on a woman returning to her ancestral home and confronting memories of her childhood and father.

Batt Koch examines displacement, identity and the enduring meaning of home through the experiences of a Kashmiri migrant family. Tasrufdaar (Djinns of Kashmir) blends mystery and memory with the lingering scars of Kashmir’s past. Naqsh-e-Daur portrays the life and legacy of Padma Shri-honoured woodcarver Ghulam Nabi Dhar, celebrating Kashmir’s craftsmanship, heritage and resilience.

The five films will be screened as part of the festival’s competitive programming, providing a platform for filmmakers from the region to showcase their distinctive cinematic voices before audiences and fellow filmmakers during the four-day international festival.