Srinagar, Sep 9: Noted filmmaker and Padma Shri awardee Ramesh Sippy on Wednesday described the first International Film Festival Jammu & Kashmir (IFFJK) as a promising new beginning for the region's film industry, saying the improved security environment can restore filmmakers' confidence and bring film productions back to the picturesque Valley.

The film festival, being held under the theme 'Rang-e-Cinema', was inaugurated by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in Srinagar on the evening of September 7. The four-day festival has brought together filmmakers, artists, delegates and cinema enthusiasts from across the world, with participation from over 30 countries and more than 130 films being showcased during the festival.
"This is the beginning. A good beginning will augur well for all things to come," Sippy, best known for directing the blockbuster 'Sholay', told reporters on the sidelines of the festival in Srinagar.
Sippy said the improved environment in Jammu and Kashmir would help restore confidence among filmmakers and encourage them to return to the Valley for shootings and film production.
"I think it's very encouraging to see that the environment has improved a lot. And now people will have confidence. People will come. There will be shootings. Films will be made here," he said.
He said Kashmir offered filmmakers a unique advantage because of its unparalleled natural beauty, adding that a combination of a good story, strong characters and talented actors could make the region an ideal location for films.
"This beauty will not be found anywhere else. So if there is a good story, good film, good characters, actors, then it is very easy to make a good film here," Sippy said.
He also appreciated the cooperation of the local people and the government's encouragement to the film industry.
"I am very confident that everything will start getting better now," he said.
Asked whether he would consider undertaking a project in Kashmir on the lines of Sholay, Sippy said his visit had provided him inspiration and that he would explore the possibilities.
"Now that we have come here and seen everything, there is inspiration also, we will see what we can do here. And we will try to do something good here," he said.
Sippy emphasised the need for greater participation of local artists and filmmakers in projects made in Kashmir, saying they could bring authenticity to stories based on the region.
"It should be more inclusive of the local people also," he said, adding that the developments taking place could give other filmmakers the confidence to come forward.
He said earlier concerns related to militancy and other problems had affected filmmakers' confidence in shooting in the Valley, but expressed hope for a brighter future.
On opportunities for local artists, Sippy said, "They will get. If films are made, why not?"
He said young filmmakers and artists from Kashmir had considerable potential, particularly because they could tell stories about the region from their own perspective.
"The people here will contribute more because they will talk from their heart about their area. So it's a good thing," he said.
Sippy also said he saw no fundamental difference between the people of Kashmir and those elsewhere in the country.
"The people here are the same as the people of India. They are not different," he said.