Jammu & Kashmir is preparing to welcome its first international film festival this September, with the inaugural International Film Festival of Jammu & Kashmir (IFFJK) set to bring 135 films from 41 countries to Srinagar, Jammu and Gulmarg.
Running from September 7 to 10 under the theme ‘Rang-e-Cinema’, the festival is being organised by the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), Jammu & Kashmir, with the programme spanning an international competition, curated showcases and dedicated sections for feature films, documentaries, shorts and regional cinema.
The debut edition follows more than 1,100 submissions from over 80 countries. India leads the final selection with 64 films, followed by France with 13 and Iran with eight. Films from Türkiye, Germany, Russia, Sweden, Spain, Brazil, Qatar, Argentina, the United States, South Korea, Colombia and Taiwan are also represented.
IFFJK’s five-member international jury brings together prominent names from different corners of the film industry. Acclaimed cinematographer-director Santosh Sivan will head the jury, alongside Oscar and BAFTA-winning sound designer Resul Pookutty, German film curator and journalist Dorothee Wenner, media entrepreneur Keiko Bang, and National Award-winning filmmaker Himansu Sekhar Khatua.
The festival will also feature filmmakers and industry professionals including Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Namrata Rao, Baylon Fonseca, Chitranjan Tripathi and Supriyo Sen, according to organisers.
One of the key regional programmes is J&K Select, dedicated to films with a direct connection to Jammu & Kashmir through their filmmakers, production, locations or subject matter. The section carries a ₹10 lakh prize for Best Film, while nine festival award categories have a combined prize purse of ₹96 lakh. The top award, Best Film, itself carries ₹25 lakh, with Best Director and Best Debut Director receiving ₹15 lakh each.
The inaugural edition will unfold across venues including the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) and INOX Multiplex in Srinagar, Movie Time Cinemas KC Central in Jammu and the Gulmarg Convention Centre. A floating cinema on Dal Lake is also among the planned festival experiences.
The event builds on Kashmir’s long relationship with Indian cinema, from Kashmir Ki Kali and Kabhi Kabhie to films such as Highway and Raazi. With IFFJK, organisers are looking to extend that history into a wider international conversation around filmmaking, film tourism, local talent and cultural exchange.
When ‘Rang-e-Cinema’ opens on September 7, the four-day festival will mark a new addition to Jammu & Kashmir’s cultural calendar, bringing international and regional cinema together across some of the Valley’s best-known venues.
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