jammu and Kashmir’s first International Film Festival has brought filmmakers, actors, cinematographers, musicians and cinema professionals from India and abroad to the Valley, opening a new platform for cultural exchange while renewed attention is being focused on Kashmir’s potential as a destination for film production and as a source of stories and talent.
The four-day International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir (IFFJK), being held from September 7 to 10 under the theme “Rang-e-Cinema”, is showcasing 135 films representing 41 countries. The festival received more than 1,100 entries from over 80 countries before the final selection, with India accounting for the largest country-wise participation with 64 films, followed by France with 13 and Iran with eight. Argentina and Spain have four films each, while Brazil, Germany, Russia and the United States have three each. Films from South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan, Qatar, Colombia and Türkiye are also part of the programme.
The festival is being held across venues in Srinagar, Jammu and Gulmarg, including SKICC and INOX in Srinagar, Movie Time Cinemas KC Central in Jammu and the Gulmarg Convention Centre. Its programme includes international competition, feature films, documentaries, short films, regional cinema, J&K Select and Bharat Panorama, besides masterclasses, industry discussions and interactive sessions.
The international character of the festival is also reflected in its jury. The competitive sections are being judged by a panel comprising Indian cinematographer and filmmaker Santosh Sivan, German filmmaker and curator Dorothee Wenner, Japanese media entrepreneur and documentary filmmaker Keiko Bang, Indian filmmaker and screenwriter Sriram Raghavan and National Film Award-winning Indian filmmaker and educator Himansu Sekhar Khatua. The jury brings together experience in cinematography, filmmaking, documentary production, curation and film education from India, Germany and Japan.
Among the prominent Indian cinema personalities attending the festival are veteran filmmaker Ramesh Sippy, Kashmir-born filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra, filmmakers Imtiaz Ali and Sriram Raghavan, actors Pankaj Tripathi, Divyenndu Sharma, Fatima Sana Sheikh and Taha Shah Badussha, along with playback singers Sunidhi Chauhan, Usha Uthup and Palak Muchhal and leading cinema professionals including cinematographer Santosh Sivan, sound designer Baylon Fonseca and cinematographer Anil Mehta.
The visiting personalities have spoken positively about Kashmir while also pointing towards a shift in the way the region is represented through cinema.
Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali described Kashmir as one of the most cinematic places in the world and said he hoped filmmakers would continue returning to the Valley for shooting. Recalling his film “Laila Majnu”, he said the movie was deeply connected with Kashmir, with its characters, setting and overall feel rooted in the region.
Ali said Kashmir had many stories, characters and cultural traditions that had yet to receive adequate space in cinema. He specifically referred to figures such as Habba Khatoon and Kashmir’s Sufi saints as subjects that fascinated him and said he would like to explore them through cinema if he found the opportunity. He also pointed to Kashmiri humour, music, culture and everyday life as areas that could provide material for future films.
Ali also spoke about the people he encountered while shooting in Kashmir, recalling the support extended by local residents and workers. He said local painters, carpenters and other workers had gradually become part of the filmmaking process and described Kashmiris as creative and sensitive, qualities he said could contribute to the development of a stronger local film industry. He expressed hope that future films would feature Kashmiri actors and actresses and said sustained efforts could help make Kashmir a hub for cinema.
Actors Pankaj Tripathi and Divyenndu Sharma, both from India and widely known for their roles in “Mirzapur”, also argued that Kashmir’s cinematic potential extends well beyond its landscapes.
The actors said they enjoyed their visit, including Kashmiri food and interaction with local people, and said they would like more films to come to the region. They described Kashmir as having “beautiful, rooted stories” and said the region had considerable potential for regional cinema, particularly with theatres, OTT platforms and other digital opportunities expanding the reach of local productions.
Tripathi said regional cinema had significant scope and that young people in Kashmir were already making short films, in some cases using mobile phones and digital platforms. He described the festival as an important beginning for showcasing stories from Jammu and Kashmir and encouraged greater attention to local filmmaking.
Divyenndu said filmmakers should move beyond using Kashmir primarily for songs and scenic sequences and explore its people, food, folklore and traditions. The remarks placed emphasis on the possibility of Kashmir becoming a source of stories rather than merely a location in which stories set elsewhere are filmed.
Filmmaker Sriram Raghavan similarly called for Kashmir to be portrayed through a wider range of stories. He said Hindi cinema should avoid a single, fixed representation of Kashmir and expressed interest in stories about everyday life, family relationships and love in the region. Raghavan also indicated that he was considering the possibility of making a film in Kashmir.
Veteran filmmaker Ramesh Sippy, who has been visiting Kashmir since 1964, described the festival as a promising beginning for the region’s film industry. Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, he recalled the period when filmmakers had stopped coming to Kashmir and said the situation had reopened for filmmaking. He expressed hope that tourists and filmmakers would return to the Valley and that more productions would be undertaken here.
Asked whether he himself could shoot a film in Kashmir, Sippy said he had come, observed the situation and hoped that a project could be undertaken soon. He also said the festival represented a beginning that could lead to further developments for the region’s film industry.
Playback singer Sunidhi Chauhan, who was also attending the festival, described Kashmir as “Jannat” and spoke positively about her experience in the Valley. She said it was her first visit and expressed a desire to return, including with a concert, according to reports from her interaction with reporters at INOX Srinagar.
The festival is also providing a platform for cinema professionals to engage directly with aspiring filmmakers and students. Masterclasses have covered direction, screenplay writing, cinematography, editing and acting, while industry sessions have focused on documentary cinema, regional cinema, co-production and developments in filmmaking technology. The official programme describes these sessions as an opportunity for audiences and emerging filmmakers to interact with national and international professionals.
For Jammu and Kashmir, the significance of the festival extends beyond the four-day screening programme. The administration has been presenting it as part of a broader effort to develop a sustainable cinematic ecosystem involving film production, skill development, local talent, investment and tourism.
Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo has said the region has a natural affinity with creative fields and recalled its strong association with the film industry during the 1970s and 1980s. At the festival, he called for greater opportunities for young people in filmmaking and allied technical professions and highlighted the need for training, scholarships, partnerships with reputed institutions and stronger skill-development programmes.
The Jammu and Kashmir Film Policy-2024 provides the institutional framework behind this effort. The policy provides for a Single Window Cell for film-related permissions, incentives for film production and measures intended to encourage local participation in filmmaking. It also recognises regional languages including Kashmiri, Dogri, Urdu, Pahadi and Gojri within the policy framework, creating scope for regional-language productions alongside larger commercial projects.
The festival itself places particular emphasis on regional cinema through the J&K Select section, while the award structure includes a separate Best Film – J&K Select category carrying a prize of ₹10 lakh. The total prize purse for the festival is ₹96 lakh across nine categories, with ₹25 lakh for Best Film, ₹15 lakh each for Best Director and Best Debut Film of a Director, and awards for acting and technical categories.
The effort to connect cinema with tourism is also visible in the festival’s unusual public programming. A floating cinema has been organised on Dal Lake, with classic films being screened against the backdrop of the Valley. The festival is also using venues in Srinagar, Jammu and Gulmarg, taking the event beyond a single cinema complex.
The convergence of international films, Indian filmmakers, established actors, local artists and young cinema enthusiasts has also brought attention to the possibility of a more permanent film ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir. The official festival platform describes IFFJK as a cultural and economic platform aimed at promoting tourism, culture, film production and economic opportunities across the region.
The response from filmmakers attending the festival has largely centred on the same message: Kashmir already possesses the landscapes that have attracted cinema for decades, but its next opportunity lies in developing the people, skills, infrastructure and stories that can allow the region to participate in filmmaking at a deeper level.
With international films being screened alongside J&K productions, foreign cinema professionals participating in the jury, leading Indian filmmakers and actors interacting with local audiences, and the administration linking the festival with film policy and skill development, IFFJK has given Jammu and Kashmir a platform to present itself not only as a location for films but as a potential centre for filmmaking, storytelling and cinematic exchange.

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