Srinagar, Sep 06: Kashmir is set to roll out the red carpet for some of the biggest names in Indian cinema as the first International Film Festival of Jammu & Kashmir (IFFJK) 2026 begins on Monday, bringing actors, filmmakers, singers and other film professionals together in Srinagar in a major push to revive the region’s connect with the film industry.
The four-day festival, scheduled from September 7 to 10, will be inaugurated at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) on the banks of the Dal Lake, with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, along with ministers and senior government officials, expected to attend the opening ceremony.
According to officials familiar with the programme, the festival will witness the participation of a galaxy of actors and filmmakers, including Fatima Sana Shaikh, Sadia Khateeb, Vedang Raina, Pankaj Tripathi, Sanjay Suri, Mir Sarwar and Ashwath Bhatt.
Among the prominent directors and filmmakers scheduled to attend and interact with participants are Imtiaz Ali, Santosh Sivan, Ritesh Shah, Sriram Raghavan, Chittaranjan Tripathy and Anil Mehta. Veteran filmmakers Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Ramesh Sippy are also expected to be part of the festival.
The opening day will also have a strong musical flavour, with Kashmiri singer Jaan Nissar Lone and singer Rani Hazarika scheduled to kick off the celebrations with live performances. Bollywood singer Palak Muchhal is also set to take the stage later in the evening.
The festival will further feature prominent singers Sunidhi Chauhan and Usha Uthup, who are scheduled to visit Kashmir and conduct masterclasses as part of the event.
Officials said the festival is being organised with a larger objective of rebuilding the relationship between the film industry and Jammu & Kashmir, while creating an institutional platform for filmmakers, artists and industry professionals to reconnect with the valley.
The IFFJK has received around 1,100 entries from 92 countries, following which a preview committee shortlisted 135 films for the festival. Films from more than 40 countries are expected to be showcased, with delegates from several countries scheduled to participate.
The festival is being organised by the Jammu & Kashmir government’s Department of Information and Public Relations and is being billed as the Union Territory’s first international film festival.
While Srinagar will remain the principal hub of the festival, screenings and related events will also be held at multiple locations, including Jammu, the ski resort of Gulmarg and INOX Srinagar, J&K’s lone multiplex.
Officials said the choice of venues is aimed not only at hosting screenings but also at showcasing Jammu & Kashmir’s distinctive cultural heritage and landscapes to filmmakers, artists and delegates arriving from across India and abroad.
The government hopes the festival will help revive film tourism in Jammu & Kashmir, which has historically been a favourite destination for filmmakers, while encouraging new collaborations and bringing the region back onto the cinematic map.
With a star-studded guest list, films from across the globe and performances by leading singers, the inaugural IFFJK is expected to put Kashmir at the centre of a renewed conversation between the valley and the world of cinema.
Traffic police issues advisory
Traffic police have issued an advisory ahead of the inauguration of the first International Film Festival of Jammu & Kashmir (IFFJK) 2026 at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar on Monday.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Traffic Srinagar Aijaz Ahmad Bhat said several invitees, VVIPs and guests are expected to attend the festival, prompting traffic restrictions in and around the SKICC area.
“We are expecting a huge crowd heading towards SKICC. To avoid any inconvenience to the public, we have issued a traffic advisory,” Bhat said.
As per the advisory, general traffic will be restricted on Gupkar Road, except vehicles carrying invited guests, participants and VVIPs attending the festival. The restriction will remain in force from 4 pm to 7 pm.
At Badyari Chowk, traffic heading towards SKICC and Nehru Park will also be restricted, except for hotel guests and local residents. Other traffic heading towards Nishat will be diverted via Rainawari and Hazratbal.
Similarly, traffic coming from the Nishat-Harwan side will be diverted towards Hazratbal.
The restrictions will remain in place from 4 pm to 7 pm until the completion of the inauguration function, the SSP said.
Traffic police have advised commuters to plan their journeys accordingly and cooperate with personnel deployed in the area to ensure smooth traffic management during the event.
