Srinagar, Sep 8 (NVI): Five films directed by filmmakers from Jammu and Kashmir have been selected for the J&K Select Section, the competitive category of the first International Film Festival of Jammu & Kashmir (IFFJK), organisers said on Tuesday.
The films were selected on the recommendations of a preview committee after reviewing the submissions and assessing their artistic merit and suitability for the competitive section, they said.
The selected films are Searching for the Grandpa, directed by Mohammad Wali; Arifa, directed by Rohin Ravendran Nair; Batt Koch (The Lost Lane), directed by Siddarth Koul and Ankit Wali; Tasrufdaar (Djinns of Kashmir), directed by Kapil Mattoo; and Naqsh-e-Daur (The Story of Ghulam Nabi Dhar), directed by Baba Tassaduq Hussain.
The films, in Kashmiri and Hindi, cover a range of themes including childhood, family, memory, displacement, identity, heritage, resilience and the changing social landscape of Kashmir.
Searching for the Grandpa follows two young siblings in a Kashmiri village during Eid, while Arifa revolves around a woman returning to her ancestral home in Kashmir and confronting memories of her childhood and father.
Batt Koch explores displacement and identity through the story of a Kashmiri migrant family and its enduring connection with the idea of home. Tasrufdaar (Djinns of Kashmir) combines mystery and memory with the scars of Kashmir’s past.
Naqsh-e-Daur portrays the life and legacy of Padma Shri-honoured woodcarver Ghulam Nabi Dhar, highlighting the region’s craftsmanship, heritage and resilience.
The five films will be screened as part of the competitive programming of the four-day IFFJK, providing a platform for filmmakers from the region to showcase their work and audiences to engage with diverse cinematic narratives rooted in Jammu and Kashmir.—(NVI)
