SRINAGAR, Sep 8: The second day of the first International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir (IFFJK) is witnessing a packed schedule of film screenings, panel discussions and cinema-related sessions across Srinagar and Jammu on Tuesday.
A diverse selection of short films, documentaries and feature films from India and several countries is being screened at SKICC Srinagar, INOX Srinagar and WAVES Jammu.
At SKICC, the day’s screenings began with short films including The Last Rites, directed by Yuga J Vardhan of Malaysia, and Sudden Rise and And the God who is close from Iran. Other films scheduled through the day include Stone Beach, Songs of the Mist, Painted Memories, Ricard Dance, The Scientist Who Runs at Night and In the Name of Fire.
The SKICC programme also features several Indian short films, including Land We Carry, Baburao in love with Ella, Aabiskar – The Debut, I Was a Dream, Ek Safa, Free as a Bird, Kunemechi, Arifa and Room at the Farm.
At INOX Srinagar, the programme includes Dear Father, directed by Himjyoti Talukdar, followed by Bramhakamal. International films include Promised Sky by Erige Sehiri, Insomnia by Masoud Ahmadi, Family Party by Raphaël Venayre, Pentest and The Algorithm of Curdled Milk, among others.
One of the major screenings of the day is Laila Majnu, scheduled at 4 pm under the Bharat Panorama section. Love in Vietnam, directed by Rahhat Shah Kazmi, will also be screened at SKICC as a special screening under the J&K Select section.
The day’s programme in Jammu includes films under the Short Films, Best Debut and Cinema of the World categories, besides screenings of Ikkis and other selected works.
The festival is also hosting discussions and knowledge-sharing sessions alongside the screenings. A three-hour panel on “Resurrecting Heritage: Animation, AI, and the Jammu and Kashmiri Visual Identity” is being held at SKICC. Another session, “The Global Canvas: Who Gets to Be Seen?”, focuses on festival selection and representation.
A cinematography session titled “Deconstructing Visual Subtext” features Indian cinematographer and filmmaker Anil Mehta. An industry development discussion, “Unlocking Jammu & Jammu and Kashmir: The Next Big Cinematic Hub,” is also scheduled, focusing on the potential of J&K as a major filmmaking destination.
An acting session titled “Faces of the Valley: The Beautiful Craft of Acting” will further explore the art and craft of performance for cinema.
The second-day programme reflects the festival’s wider objective of bringing international cinema to J&K while creating opportunities for local filmmakers, artists and young cinema enthusiasts to engage with established professionals.
The inaugural IFFJK, being held from September 7 to 10 under the theme ‘Rang-e-Cinema’, features films from more than 40 countries and aims to promote cultural exchange, local talent and film tourism in Jammu and Kashmir.
For detailed timings, check: https://iffjk.org/en/sessions.