Festival to showcase J&K’s landscapes, talent
Local filmmakers, artists to be integrated
Srinagar, Jun 30: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday chaired a review meeting to assess preparations for the 1st International Film Festival of Jammu & Kashmir (IFFJK)-2026, envisaging it as a landmark initiative to revive the region’s cinematic legacy and evolve into a globally recognised cinematic event that celebrates storytelling while showcasing J&K’s breathtaking landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and emerging creative talent.
The meeting held extensive deliberations on the festival’s vision, screening and programming strategy, branding, digital outreach, industry partnerships, and international participation. Director Information & Public Relations Shreya Singhal gave a comprehensive presentation outlining the proposed framework for the inaugural edition.
CM Omar Abdullah underlined that the festival must not be viewed merely as a film event but as a defining cultural and economic platform for Jammu and Kashmir, generating opportunities in tourism, investment, employment, and the creative economy while reaffirming J&K’s historic place as India’s preferred destination for film production, creative pursuits, and cinematic tourism.
Emphasising the importance of nurturing the local creative ecosystem, the Chief Minister directed that local filmmakers, writers, directors, actors, cinematographers, technicians, photographers, designers, artisans, craftsmen, and other creative professionals be meaningfully integrated with the film festival through exhibitions, networking opportunities, and business engagements. He further instructed organisers to facilitate structured interactions between local talent and eminent national and international filmmakers through master-class sessions, workshops, panel discussions, mentoring sessions, and knowledge-sharing programmes.
The Chief Minister also called for instituting a special segment to recognise distinguished actors, filmmakers, directors, producers, cinematographers, musicians, and other cinema personalities who have played a significant role in keeping Jammu and Kashmir’s cinematic legacy alive, celebrating Kashmir’s enduring association with Indian cinema while inspiring a renewed partnership between the film industry and J&K.
The proposed four-day festival, scheduled to be held in September 2026, will host screenings across multiple venues and feature international competition, Indian cinema, documentaries, short films, student films, animation, regional cinema, industry forums, workshops, and cultural programmes. Proposals for a dedicated digital ecosystem, including a festival website and an AI-enabled mobile application, as well as technical partnerships with premier film institutions, were also discussed.
The meeting was attended by Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, Additional Chief Secretary to CM Dheeraj Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary Finance Shailendra Kumar, Commissioner Secretary Information R Alice Vaz, Commissioner Secretary Floriculture Zubair Ahmad, Director Information Shreya Singhal, Joint Director Information Kashmir Syed Shahnawaz Bukhari, Joint Director Information Jammu Deepak Dubey, senior officers from Tourism and General Administration, representatives of NFDC, and other concerned officers.
