Srinagar, Sept 11 (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday called for transforming the Union Territory from merely a sought-after filming location into a vibrant centre 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 here, Abdullah said the success of the festival should ultimately be measured by the careers it launches, collaborations it creates and stories from J&K that reach audiences across India and the world.
The inaugural edition of IFFJK featured 120 films from more than 30 countries and brought filmmakers, artists, young aspirants and cinema enthusiasts together.
“Jammu and Kashmir must increasingly become a place from which stories emerge, talent is discovered, and films are conceived and created,” Abdullah said.
He said the region’s landscapes may attract filmmakers, but its stories, people and a professional filmmaking environment should encourage them to return.
“Our landscapes may bring filmmakers here, but our stories, our people and a professional filmmaking environment can bring them back,” he said.
The chief minister said J&K had much more to offer the film industry than its scenic locations, pointing to its cities, villages, languages, literature, music, crafts, history and everyday life as a rich source of stories.
Abdullah also emphasised the need to create opportunities for local talent to work with the wider film industry and gain exposure beyond the region.
He said the long-term success of IFFJK should not be judged only by the number of films screened or personalities attending 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.
The chief minister called for developing IFFJK beyond a four-day annual event into a year-round platform for screenings, training, learning and collaboration.
He said the government could provide the necessary platform and an enabling environment, but a vibrant film culture had to be sustained by the creative community.
Abdullah also highlighted the economic potential of the film sector, saying filmmaking could generate employment and opportunities for local professionals, artists, craftspeople, service providers and businesses.
“Films coming to Jammu and Kashmir should therefore leave behind not only memorable images, but also skills, employment and stronger local capabilities,” he said.
Recalling the region’s long association with cinema, Abdullah said iconic films such as “Junglee”, “Arzoo”, “Kashmir Ki Kali” and “Kabhi Kabhie” had showcased Kashmir’s landscape to audiences for decades.
He said the screening of such films during the festival, including through the floating cinema on Dal Lake, had been among the defining memories of the inaugural edition.
“For decades, Kashmir travelled to audiences through the cinema screen; this week, in a sense, the screen came back to Kashmir,” he said.
The chief minister urged visiting filmmakers, actors and delegates to return to J&K to shoot, write, teach, collaborate and explore the region.
He also encouraged young filmmakers and storytellers to focus on stories rooted in their own surroundings.
“Tell the stories of your neighbourhoods, villages, families and generation. Some of cinema’s most powerful stories are intimate and local,” he said.
Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan, former chief minister Farooq Abdullah, members of the J&K Council of Ministers, legislators, Chief Secretary, senior civil and police officers and members of the film fraternity were present at the concluding ceremony.
Abdullah thanked the jury, filmmakers, delegates, organisers, volunteers and audiences for contributing to the success of the first edition of IFFJK.
He said the conclusion of the inaugural festival should not mark the end of the idea behind it, but the beginning of something enduring for Jammu and Kashmir’s film and creative community.—(NVI)
