Srinagar, July 24: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday said Jammu and Kashmir is ready to rebuild its historic relationship with the film industry, asserting that the inaugural International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir (IFFJK) 2026 will help restore the Valley as a preferred filmmaking destination and place it back on the global cinema map.

Launching the logo of the 1st International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir (IFFJK) 2026 at the Royal Springs Golf Course in Srinagar, Omar Abdullah, as per news agency JKNS, recalled Kashmir's long association with Indian cinema and said there was a time when Bollywood and the Valley were synonymous.
"There was a time when filmmaking in Bollywood and Kashmir was synonymous. No film was considered complete unless it had at least one sequence filmed in the Valley. If you couldn't shoot an entire movie here, you at least shot one song," he said.
The Chief Minister said the objective of the film festival is to revive that historic relationship and provide a lasting platform for filmmakers from India and across the world.
"The idea behind this film festival is to rebuild the bond that existed between this part of the country and the film industry. I believe we are again at the cusp of restarting that relationship," he said.
Highlighting the government's efforts to revive filmmaking in the Union Territory, Omar said scenic beauty alone is no longer sufficient to attract film productions.
"We need to make it easier and cheaper for filmmakers to come here and also develop local youngsters who can support filmmaking activity," he said.
Referring to noted filmmaker Muzaffar Ali's long-delayed film Zooni, Omar expressed satisfaction that the project had been completed by Ali's son.
"If what he has done is even a patch on what his father had started, I have no doubt it will present Kashmir in a way it hasn't been presented in the last four decades," he said.
Expressing hope that the festival would become an annual event, the Chief Minister said the government wants IFFJK to evolve into a globally recognised platform.
"This is the first, but we definitely don't want it to be the only one. We want filmmakers from across the world to look forward to participating here," he said.
Omar also welcomed the Government of India's decision not to close Srinagar Airport during the proposed festival period, saying it came as a major relief for organisers.
"Thankfully, the Government of India changed its mind. That was a huge relief for us," he remarked.
The Chief Minister also thanked filmmakers Muzaffar Ali, Imtiaz Ali and Sajid Ali for supporting the initiative, saying their association would significantly strengthen Jammu and Kashmir's efforts to revive its film industry and promote the region as a premier filmmaking destination.