Srinagar, Oct 5: Members of Kashmir’s film fraternity have sought institutional, professional and financial support from the government to strengthen the local film ecosystem, besides demanding that the government organise a dedicated film festival in Jammu and Kashmir with local filmmakers, artists and technicians at its core.
The demand was raised by a high-level delegation of the Kashmir Film & Television Association (KFTA), which called on Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Chief Spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq Ali on Monday and apprised him of the concerns and grievances of the indigenous film fraternity.
The delegation, led by KFTA Chairman and Kashmir World Film Festival (KWFF) founder and director Mushtaaque Ali Ahmad Khan, said the local film fraternity should have a meaningful role in the planning and execution of government-sponsored film and cultural initiatives.
The filmmakers stressed that an international film festival is a specialised artistic and professional undertaking requiring experience, technical expertise and sustained engagement with the filmmaking community.
They urged the government to ensure that future festivals are professionally managed and that local filmmakers, artists and technicians are placed at the centre of their planning and execution.
A key demand raised by the delegation was for the government to organise a regular film festival in Jammu and Kashmir that provides a platform to local filmmakers, actors, technicians and young talent.
The delegation maintained that such an initiative would help create a sustainable film ecosystem in the region and provide local artists opportunities to showcase their work before wider national and international audiences.
The filmmakers appealed to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to strengthen the indigenous film fraternity through appropriate institutional, professional and financial support.
The delegation also sought government support and institutional recognition for established local platforms such as KWFF, which, it said, had been sustained over the years through the efforts and resources of members of the local film fraternity.
The delegation said the contribution of earlier indigenous film initiatives should be acknowledged in the official cultural history of Jammu and Kashmir.
The delegation maintained that KWFF was not merely an annual event but a sustained cultural initiative aimed at promoting cinema and providing exposure to local filmmakers and young talent.
