Five J&K films selected for competitive section of first International Film Festival

SRINAGAR: Five films helmed by directors from the Union Territory have been selected for the J&K Select Section, the competitive category of the 1st International Film Festival of Jammu & Kashmir (IFFJK), 2026.

The films were recommended by the Preview Committee constituted for the festival, following a review of submissions and an assessment of their artistic merit and suitability for the competitive section.

The selection reflects a diverse range of narratives, genres and perspectives, with a particular focus on stories rooted in Jammu and Kashmir's cultural heritage, social realities and human experiences.

The four-day first-ever international film festival in J&K got underway yesterday. About 135 films, including 60 foreign films, will be screened during the four-day festival.

The festival, themed "Rang-e-Cinema" (colours of cinema), is being held in Srinagar, Jammu and the world-famous ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir.

The five selected films by local filmmakers include “Searching for the Grandpa”, directed by Mohammad Wali; “Arifa”, directed by Rohin Ravendran Nair; “Batt Koch (The Lost Lane)”, directed by Siddarth Koul and Ankit Wali; “Tasrufdaar (Djinns of Kashmir)”, directed by Kapil Mattoo; and “Naqsh-e-Daur (The Story of Ghulam Nabi Dhar)”, directed by Baba Tassaduq Hussain.

Spanning Kashmiri and Hindi languages, the five local films explore themes ranging from childhood, family and memory to displacement, identity, heritage, resilience and the changing social landscape of Kashmir.

Searching for the Grandpa follows two young siblings in a Kashmiri village on Eid. Arifa centres on a woman returning to her ancestral home in Kashmir and confronting memories of her childhood and father.

Batt Koch explores displacement, identity and the enduring idea of home through the story of a Kashmiri migrant family. Tasrufdaar (Djinns of Kashmir) weaves together mystery, memory and the scars of Kashmir's past, while Naqsh-e-Daur portrays the life and legacy of a Padma Shri-honoured woodcarver in downtown Srinagar, highlighting Kashmir's craftsmanship, heritage and resilience.

The selected films will form part of the competitive programming of the four-day International Film Festival, offering audiences and filmmakers an opportunity to engage with distinctive cinematic voices and stories from Jammu and Kashmir.

Organised by the J&K Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) in collaboration with the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), the festival opened on Monday with the screening of Lebanese filmmaker Sarah Francis’s film “Dead Dog” at INOX, Srinagar’s only multiplex.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah inaugurated the festival at Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), Srinagar, yesterday evening, marking a new chapter in Jammu & Kashmir’s long and enduring relationship with cinema.

One of the festival’s most distinctive attractions will be a “floating cinema” on Dal Lake, where films will be screened against the backdrop of Kashmir’s iconic landscape. The special screenings will feature Bollywood films shot in the Valley, including Junglee, Arzoo, Kashmir Ki Kali and Kabhi Kabhie.

The five-member international jury, headed by acclaimed cinematographer-director Santosh Sivan, will evaluate the entries. The jury also includes Oscar and BAFTA-winning sound designer Resul Pookutty, German film curator Dorothee Wenner, media entrepreneur Keiko Bang and National Award-winning filmmaker Himansu Sekhar Khatua.

The festival is expected to provide visiting filmmakers with an opportunity to experience the region first-hand while simultaneously creating greater visibility for its landscapes, cultural heritage and creative potential.