IFFJK 2026: Kashmir Writes a New Story of Peace, Cinema and Hope
07/09/2026
By Farooq Ganderbali
The 1st International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir (IFFJK) 2026 is a proud and historic moment for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Beginning in Srinagar, the festival brings together filmmakers, cinematographers, producers, curators and cinema professionals from India and abroad, giving Kashmir an important platform on the global cultural map.
For Kashmir, this is not merely a celebration of cinema. It is also a celebration of peace, normalcy, tourism, culture, unity and the aspirations of its young people.
For decades, Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, extremism and radicalism tried to disturb the peace of Jammu and Kashmir and keep the region trapped in violence. Propaganda was repeatedly used to create fear, divide communities and discourage tourism and investment. But the people of Jammu and Kashmir have increasingly rejected the politics of violence and the propaganda that sought to speak on their behalf.
The message from today's Kashmir is clear: the people want peace, progress and opportunity—not terrorism and destruction.
The growing return of tourism and cultural activity is a powerful reflection of that change. Kashmir's breathtaking mountains, lakes, meadows, gardens and rich traditions are once again being experienced by visitors from across India and around the world.
The International Film Festival gives this transformation a particularly meaningful platform.
Kashmir and cinema have a historic relationship
Kashmir has always had a special relationship with Indian cinema. From the romantic landscapes of classic Bollywood to contemporary films, the Valley's natural beauty has inspired generations of filmmakers.
The snow-covered mountains, Dal Lake, shikaras, Chinar trees, gardens and valleys have provided some of the most memorable backgrounds in Indian cinema.
Now, with IFFJK, Jammu and Kashmir has an opportunity to move beyond being simply a beautiful shooting location and emerge as a serious destination for filmmakers, film production, cinematic education and international cultural exchange.
The inaugural festival is expected to feature films from around the world and bring together prominent names from the Indian and international film community.
The presence of legendary filmmaker Ramesh Sippy, celebrated for Sholay, and Kashmir-born filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra, known for 3 Idiots, PK and Mission Kashmir, adds special significance to the occasion.
The festival's international jury also reflects its ambitions, with personalities including Santosh Sivan, Dorothee Wenner, Keiko Bang, Sriram Raghavan and Himansu Sekhar Khatua bringing experience from Indian and international cinema.
A message that goes beyond cinema
When internationally recognised filmmakers, artists and cinema professionals come to Kashmir, they see the region with their own eyes.
They see its natural beauty.
They meet its people.
They experience its culture.
They witness its hospitality.
And they see a young generation that wants to build a peaceful future.
This is important because for too long, Pakistan-sponsored propaganda attempted to project Jammu and Kashmir only through the prism of conflict.
That narrative is increasingly being challenged by reality.
A vibrant film festival, busy tourist destinations, cultural programmes, sporting events and young people pursuing education and careers present a different picture—a Kashmir that wants to live, create, develop and prosper in peace.
Youth are the biggest stakeholders.
The greatest promise of the film industry is the opportunity it can create for Jammu and Kashmir's youth.
Cinema requires directors, writers, actors, cinematographers, editors, musicians, sound engineers, designers, technicians, production managers and digital creators. It also generates opportunities for hospitality, transportation, tourism and local businesses.
IFFJK can therefore become more than an annual cultural event. It can help connect the talented youth of Jammu and Kashmir with a much larger national and international creative industry.
The aspiration should be to ensure that young Kashmiris do not merely watch films—they should increasingly write them, make them, produce them and tell their own stories to the world.
Peace creates possibilities
There is a direct connection between peace and economic development.
Tourists travel where they feel welcome and safe. Investors invest where there is stability. Artists create where there is freedom. International events succeed where people have confidence in the environment.
That is why the emergence of Jammu and Kashmir as a destination for international cultural events is significant.
The 1st IFFJK, organised by the Directorate of Information and Public Relations, J&K, is intended to promote artistic excellence, cinematic innovation and cultural exchange.
It demonstrates what becomes possible when a society moves away from violence and towards creativity.
Rejecting violence, choosing the future
The people of Jammu and Kashmir have paid a heavy price because of terrorism and violence. Families lost loved ones, young lives were disrupted and the region's economic and social progress suffered.
There should be no romanticisation of terrorism or extremism.
The future belongs to peace, education, employment, tourism, technology, culture and development.
The people of Kashmir have every right to reject propaganda that glorifies violence and attempts to divide communities. They have every right to choose a future in which their children grow up with opportunities rather than fear.
IFFJK symbolises that choice.
It is a celebration of cinema, but it is also a celebration of confidence returning to Jammu and Kashmir.
A new image of Kashmir
The world has long known Kashmir as “Paradise on Earth” because of its extraordinary natural beauty.
Now there is an opportunity to add another dimension to that identity.
Kashmir can be known not only for its mountains and lakes, but also for its films, filmmakers, artists, entrepreneurs, young talent and cultural richness.
The first International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir can become an important bridge between Kashmir and the global creative community.
It can help replace old images of violence with new images of creativity.
It can replace fear with confidence.
It can replace propaganda with reality.
And it can show the world what the people of Jammu and Kashmir have always wanted—a peaceful, united and prosperous future.
The message from Kashmir is simple and powerful: terrorism cannot define our future. Pakistan sponsered propaganda cannot silence our aspirations. Peace has given us the confidence to move forward, and cinema can help us tell the world our new story.
IFFJK 2026 is not just a festival of films—it is a celebration of Kashmir's return to peace, culture, opportunity and hope.
(The author is a Kashmir based senior journalist & columnist and President of Voice for Peace and justice.
Farooq Ganderbali
+91-9419000498 )
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