Jammu, July 10: The fifth edition of the Jammu Film Festival (JFF) has received an overwhelming response from filmmakers across the globe, with 180 film submissions from 35 countries received ahead of the July 31 deadline.
Scheduled to be held on September 28-29 in Jammu, the festival has continued to expand its presence as an international platform connecting the region with the global film community.
The entries received so far include 130 short films, 35 documentaries and 17 feature films, representing diverse cultures, languages and cinematic traditions.
Jury Head Kapil Mattoo said the response reflected the growing reputation of the festival within the independent film ecosystem.
“Receiving 180 submissions from 35 countries at this stage is an impressive achievement and demonstrates the confidence filmmakers have in the festival,” he said.
The festival is jointly presented by Vomedh and Koshurwood Studio and is expected to bring together filmmakers, artists, delegates and cinema enthusiasts from India and abroad. Organisers said international participants from countries including the United States have shown interest in attending the event.
Festival Directors Rakesh Roshan Bhat and Rohit Bhat said the vision behind JFF was to create a cultural institution that connects Jammu with the world through cinema.
Sanjeev Kak of Koshurwood Studio said the organisation was proud to be associated with a festival that has evolved into an important cultural platform for the region.
The organisers have also announced a three-tier evaluation process comprising a Screening Committee, Review Committee and Final Jury for transparent selection of films.
The Screening Committee includes Festival Directors Rakesh Roshan Bhat and Rohit Bhat, actor-director Kamal Razdan, actor Suman Pandita, director Ifra Kak and actor-director Manzoor Mir.
The Review Committee comprises filmmaker Rahul Sharma, actor-producer Kusum Tickoo, actors Rani Bhan and J.R. Sagar, music director Dr Kuldeep Raina Sudeshi and actor Shadab Khan.
The final jury, headed by Kapil Mattoo, includes Bollywood actor Vipin Sharma, actor Ashwath Bhatt and actor Tanvir Dar.
Organisers said the distinguished jury panel will ensure a fair and merit-based selection of films for recognition at the festival.
The fifth edition follows the earlier editions of JFF, which witnessed participation from several personalities of Indian cinema, including M.K. Raina, Rahul Roy, Yashpal Sharma, Kashmera Shah, Deepika Singh, Ayub Khan and others.
