VOI World/ Desk
The Kashmir International Film Festival is set to make its debut this week, bringing 135 films from 41 countries to Jammu and Kashmir in what organisers hope will become a major platform for cinema, creative collaboration and cultural exchange.
Titled Rang-e-Cinema, the inaugural International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir will be held from September 7 to 10. The event is being organised by the Jammu and Kashmir government’s Department of Information and Public Relations.
The festival received more than 1,100 submissions from over 80 countries, with 135 films eventually selected for screening. India has the highest number of selected films, followed by France and Iran, while entries from countries including the US, Germany, Russia, South Korea, Brazil, Spain and Türkiye are also part of the programme.
Screenings and other events are planned across Srinagar, with a separate programme also scheduled in Gulmarg. The festival will include film screenings, workshops, masterclasses, panel discussions and interactions involving filmmakers, students and media professionals.
One of the event’s most distinctive attractions is a planned floating cinema on Dal Lake, allowing visitors on Shikara rides to watch films on a screen set up on the water.
The festival also reflects Jammu and Kashmir’s long association with Indian cinema. The region’s landscapes have featured in films for decades, while the government now aims to promote it as a destination not only for film shoots but also for filmmaking and international cultural events.
Organisers have indicated plans to make the Kashmir International Film Festival an annual event, with the long-term aim of building a sustained festival culture in the region.
With international participation, a sizeable film selection and Dal Lake as one of its planned venues, the festival marks a new attempt to place Jammu and Kashmir on the global cinema map.
