Omar Abdullah Calls for J&K to Become a Hub for Film Production
Omar Abdullah Calls for J&K to Become a Hub for Film Production
SRINAGAR, SEPTEMBER 10: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has called for transforming Jammu and Kashmir from a sought-after filming destination into a vibrant hub for storytelling, talent development and film production.
Addressing the concluding ceremony of the four-day International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir (IFFJK) at the SKICC back lawns on the banks of Dal Lake, the Chief Minister said the inaugural edition had demonstrated that Jammu and Kashmir could provide a meaningful platform for cinema with both national and international participation.
Union Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting Dr L. Murugan, former Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah, members of the J&K Council of Ministers, Advisor to the Chief Minister, legislators, Chief Secretary, senior officers of the civil and police administration, filmmakers, artists, jury members, delegates, students and cinema enthusiasts attended the event.
Omar Abdullah said the festival had brought filmmakers and audiences together, connected established professionals with young aspirants and created opportunities for cinema from Jammu and Kashmir to engage with audiences in India and abroad.
He said the participation of young people from the region was particularly encouraging, with discussions covering storytelling, filmmaking, technology and collaboration.
Referring to the screening of 120 films from more than 30 countries, the Chief Minister said the scale of the festival was significant, but its lasting value would be reflected in the professional and creative relationships established during the event.
“A young writer meeting a director, an aspiring filmmaker learning from a professional, or two people meeting here who may one day make a film together” were among the encounters that, he said, represented the enduring value of a film festival.
The Chief Minister also recalled the region’s longstanding association with cinema and highlighted the emotional significance of screening iconic films associated with Kashmir against the backdrop of Dal Lake. He said the floating cinema was among the defining memories of the inaugural IFFJK.
However, Omar Abdullah emphasised that the future of cinema in Jammu and Kashmir should not be based solely on nostalgia or the region’s scenic beauty.
“Our ambition must go beyond being a beautiful filming location: Jammu and Kashmir must increasingly become a place from which stories emerge, talent is discovered, and films are conceived and created,” he said.
He said the region’s cities, towns and villages, languages, literature, music, crafts, history and everyday life offered a rich reservoir of stories for filmmakers.
“Our landscapes may bring filmmakers here, but our stories, our people and a professional filmmaking environment can bring them back,” he said.
Calling for stronger engagement between local talent and the wider film industry, the Chief Minister said Jammu and Kashmir should continue to welcome filmmakers from across India and the world while creating greater opportunities for local artists and aspiring filmmakers to build careers and collaborations beyond the region.
He stressed that the long-term success of IFFJK should not be assessed merely by the number of films screened or personalities who attended the festival.
“Ten years from now, IFFJK’s success will be measured not only by the films screened or the personalities who joined us, but by the careers that began here, the opportunities and collaborations it created, and the stories from Jammu and Kashmir that reached audiences across India and the world,” he said.
Omar Abdullah also called for developing IFFJK beyond a four-day annual event into a year-round platform for film screenings, training, learning and collaboration. He said the future format of the festival should incorporate feedback and experiences of filmmakers, participants and audiences.
The Chief Minister highlighted the wider economic potential of the film sector, saying filmmaking could generate opportunities for professionals, artists, craftspeople, local service providers and businesses.
He emphasised that increased film activity should leave behind lasting benefits for the region in the form of skills, employment and stronger local capabilities.
“Films coming to Jammu and Kashmir should therefore leave behind not only memorable images, but also skills, employment and stronger local capabilities,” he said.
Inviting filmmakers, actors and delegates to return to Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah urged them to shoot, write, teach, collaborate and explore the region’s diverse stories.
Addressing young filmmakers and storytellers, he encouraged them to experiment and develop stories rooted in their own surroundings, saying authentic local narratives could have wider appeal when supported by strong filmmaking skills.
Concluding his address beside Dal Lake, the Chief Minister said the setting reflected cinema’s longstanding role in presenting Kashmir to the world. He expressed hope that Jammu and Kashmir would increasingly use cinema to tell its own stories through its own voices and reach audiences across India and internationally.
Omar Abdullah said the conclusion of the inaugural IFFJK should not mark the end of the idea behind the festival, but the beginning of a sustained cinematic journey for Jammu and Kashmir.
