As the curtains fell on Jammu and Kashmir’s first International Film Festival in Srinagar, officials from various states who attended the four-day event returned with more than memories of films and red-carpet ceremonies. The festival gave them an opportunity to experience Kashmir beyond its conventional tourist image, they say.
Officials from the Departments of Information, Culture and Tourism said the festival allowed them to interact with local people, explore different parts of the Valley and gain a closer understanding of its culture, lifestyle and people.
Sudhakar T, Director, Information and Publicity, Government of Puducherry, described his participation in the inaugural International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir as a “truly memorable experience”, both personally and professionally.
“From the ceremonial opening at INOX Srinagar to the grand opening ceremony at SKICC, the festival was executed with remarkable precision,” he said, referring to the lamp lighting, felicitation of the jury and personalities of Indian cinema, musical performances and the address by the chief guest.
“It was heartening to see a festival of this scale being hosted for the very first time in the Valley, bringing together filmmakers, artists and industry voices from across the world,” Sudhakar said.
For him, however, the experience went beyond the festival venues and the glamour surrounding the event.
“What struck me most, beyond the glamour of the red carpet, was the opportunity the festival gave to explore Kashmir itself — both the urban rhythm of Srinagar and the quieter, rural stretches beyond it,” he said.
He said interacting with local people and understanding their daily lives, warmth and connection with the land added “an entirely different dimension” to his experience.
The festival’s focus on Jammu and Kashmir’s cinematic heritage also helped visitors understand the region beyond its tourist attractions, he said. Sections such as “Cinematic Echoes”, celebrating the stories and legacy of J&K cinema, and the “J&K Library”, documenting local filmmakers and talent, provided a window into the region’s creative landscape.
The festival was also spread across different venues, including SKICC, INOX Srinagar, Gulmarg and Wave Mall in Jammu. The floating cinema concept, which took films to Kashmir’s iconic waterscapes, further connected the event with the region’s landscape and culture.
A tourism official from Himachal Pradesh, whose department had set up a stall at the festival, said the event provided an opportunity to showcase the state while interacting with filmmakers, visitors and officials from different parts of the country.
Alka, an official from Punjab’s Department of Information, also described the experience as “great”, saying the festival provided an opportunity to learn about Kashmir and interact with people from different parts of the country.
Officials said the festival had successfully brought together cinema, culture and tourism while creating opportunities for people from different parts of India to engage with Kashmir beyond the usual tourist experience.
For Sudhakar, the festival’s strongest impression was the sense of place it created.
“The cinema was world cinema, but the spirit was unmistakably Kashmiri — its people, its culture and its landscape formed as much a part of this festival as the films themselves,” he said.
