From Kashmir ki Kali in the 60s to Kabhie Kabhie in the 70s to Highway (2014) and Raazi (2018) more recently, the Valley has long attracted Hindi film industry to shoot its movies in the pristine landscape.

Now, with the hope of putting the region on the world cinema map, Kashmir is all set to host its first international film festival next month.

‘Rang-e-Cinema’, to be hosted by the J&K government’s Information and Public Relations department from September 7 to 10, aims to establish Jammu and Kashmir as a “major international destination for cinema, filmmaking, creative collaboration and cultural exchange”.

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“The core objective is to rebuild J&K’s historic relationship with cinema,” said an official associated with the international festival. “It is also aimed at creating opportunities for local talent, attracting filmmakers, promoting film tourism and placing Jammu and Kashmir firmly on the global cinematic map.”

The organisers have announced a star-studded five-member jury for the festival. This includes eminent cinematographer and director Santosh Sivan, sound designer and sound mixer of Slumdog Millionaire fame Resul Pookutty, German film curator and journalist Dorothee Wenner, founder and CEO of Bang Singapore Keiko Bang, and film director Himansu Sekhar Khatua of Shunya Swaroopa fame.

“We had received over 1,100 submissions for the festival from over 80 countries,” said a senior official associated with the festival. “Of these, 135 submissions, from 41 countries, have been shortlisted for the festival.”

While 64 entries have been shortlisted from India, 13 films from France and eight from Iran would be a part of the international festival. The other participating countries include Türkiye, Germany, Russia, Sweden, Spain, Brazil, Qatar, Argentina, United States, South Korea, Columbia and Taiwan.

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The shortlisted films and programmes would be showcased at Sheri Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) and INOX PVR in Srinagar, Waves Cinema in Jammu, and at Gulmarg health resort.

Floating screen on Dal Lake

The government is also planning to install a “floating screen” on Dal lake to allow tourists enjoying Shikara rides to watch the films.

The J&K government has appointed 50 civil service officers as liaison officers for visiting dignitaries and delegates attending the inaugural international festival. The government has directed all these officers to report to the Director, Information, on Monday for briefs about their duties and responsibilities.

The government has announced nine categories with a total prize money of Rs 96 lakh. The Best Film Award will fetch Rs 25 lakh while the award money for the Best Director and Best Debut Director has been put at Rs 15 lakh each. ‘Best Film – J&K Select’ would be awarded Rs 10 lakh while Best Actor, male and female, would be awarded Rs 8 lakh each. The government has announced Rs 5 lakh each for Best Cinematography, Best Sound Design and Best Editing.

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“The three-day programme would feature leading filmmakers and industry professionals including Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Namrata Rao, Baylon Fonseca, Chitranjan Tripathi, Supriyo Sen and others,” said the official. “The festival would also showcase Jammu and Kashmir handicrafts, handloom, cuisine, music and traditional arts and cultural heritage.”