SRINAGAR — The first International Film Festival of Jammu & Kashmir (IFFJK) concluded in Srinagar on Thursday with a closing ceremony marking the end of four days of film screenings, discussions, masterclasses, cultural performances and industry engagement across the Union Territory.
The maiden festival was organised by the Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), J&K, and was held from September 7 to 10 across Srinagar, Jammu and Gulmarg, according to news agency KNO.
The event brought together filmmakers, actors, technicians, artists, industry professionals and cinema enthusiasts from India and abroad.
Addressing the closing ceremony, Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs Dr L. Murugan said Jammu and Kashmir was emerging as a global destination for cinema and the wider creative industries.
Congratulating the J&K Government on organising the festival, Murugan highlighted the international response to its inaugural edition and said around 1,100 films had been submitted from more than 80 countries.
He said the region’s landscapes, heritage, literature, music, traditions and young talent offered significant possibilities for filmmaking and storytelling, and called on filmmakers, producers and investors to explore opportunities in Jammu and Kashmir.
Murugan also highlighted India’s ambitions in filmmaking, animation, gaming, music and emerging digital formats, stressing the need to “create in India and create for the world.”
The closing ceremony featured a performance by veteran singer Usha Uthup, who entertained the audience with her distinctive voice and stage performance.
Singer Gulzar Ganie added a Kashmiri cultural element to the evening with a performance of the Kashmiri Sufi kalam “Yaar Doad Naar Khoth”, written by Kashmiri poet and Sufi figure Wahab Khar.
The four-day festival featured a wide-ranging programme covering International Competition, Best Debut Director, Jammu & Kashmir Select, Bharat Panorama, Cinema of the World, Documentary/Hybrid and Short Films.
The programme also included masterclasses, in-conversation sessions, panel discussions, special screenings and retrospectives.
Sessions covered areas including direction and screenplay, cinematography, editing, acting, sound, animation and artificial intelligence, documentary filmmaking, regional cinema, industry development and co-production.
The festival opened on September 7 with “Dead Dog”, directed by Sarah Francis of Lebanon.
Its closing film, “Simsim”, directed by Sondos Al-Smerat of Jordan, was screened at INOX Srinagar on Thursday afternoon.
The festival also featured a Floating Cinema programme, with screenings of films including “Junglee”, “Kashmir Ki Kali”, “Arzoo” and “Kabhi Kabhie”.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah and other dignitaries attended the closing ceremony.
With its inaugural edition, IFFJK brought international cinema to Jammu and Kashmir while placing the region’s stories, talent, culture and creative potential at the centre of its wider filmmaking ambitions.
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