Srinagar, Sep 19: Kashmiri feature film The Sledge, written and directed by National Award-winning filmmaker Raja Shabir Khan, has been selected for the International Competition of the 31st SCHLiNGEL International Film Festival for Children and Young Audiences in Chemnitz, Germany.
The film will have its world premiere at the festival, scheduled to be held from October 2 to 10, marking an international festival debut for the Kashmiri-language children’s feature and its young cast.
Set against the snow-covered landscape of Kashmir, the 75-minute film follows three children who accidentally break their father’s sledge. Fearing punishment, they try to earn money to repair it by selling kahwa to tourists in Gulmarg.
Their plan takes an unexpected turn when they find a tourist’s bag containing money and chocolates. The children are then faced with a choice between keeping the money to solve their problem or returning it to its owner.
The film explores themes of honesty, temptation, responsibility and making difficult choices.
Haziq Mohammad Khan, Eashel Khan and Raima Khan play the lead roles. The film has been produced and directed by Raja Shabir Khan, with Ramayasa Khan as executive producer.
Khan said the selection was an honour and expressed hope that the film’s Kashmir-rooted story and universal themes would connect with audiences at the festival.
The SCHLiNGEL International Film Festival is dedicated to films for children and young audiences, with its International Competition featuring productions from different countries.
The film will be screened in Kashmiri with English subtitles.
