Srinagar, Sep 05: The Jammu and Kashmir government is seeking to revive the long-standing connection between Bollywood and Kashmir through the International Film Festival of Jammu & Kashmir (IFFJK) 2026, Joint Director Information, Kashmir, Syed Shahnawaz Bukhari, said on Saturday.
The four-day festival is scheduled to be held from September 7 to 10, with the government aiming to revive film tourism in the region and provide an institutional platform for the film industry to reconnect with Kashmir.
“Through this film festival, the government wanted to revive the connection between Bollywood and Kashmir that they had long ago,” Bukhari said while interacting with the media.
He said shooting activities in Kashmir had declined due to the “unfortunate situation” over the past several years, but efforts were now underway to bring filmmakers and the film industry back to the valley.
“Our attempt is again to revive film tourism through this film festival and organise it in an institutional way every year. This is the first attempt,” he said.
Bukhari said the industry had largely stopped coming to Kashmir in recent years, adding that the festival was being organised with the objective of bringing it back into focus.
“We try to do it every year. We wanted Kashmir back in frame,” he said.
The Joint Director said three venues have been selected for the festival, with major activities scheduled at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), INOX and Gulmarg.
According to Bukhari, experts from the film industry will conduct masterclasses and panel discussions, while media professionals and students will also participate in various sessions.
“It will be an enlightening exercise for students. They will be sitting with top film experts from the film industry and discussing things,” he said.
Bukhari said the festival received around 1,100 entries from 92 countries, following which the preview committee shortlisted 135 films.
The festival will feature films from more than 40 countries, with delegates from several countries expected to participate, he said.
A special Kashmir category has also been included for films that have either been shot in Kashmir or have Kashmir as their subject.
Bukhari said noted filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra would also be part of the festival, while hinting at the participation of more prominent names from the industry.
“There are more surprises for you,” he said, without revealing further details.
