Amid unrest, Kashmir to host world film festival

Amid the current unrest in Kashmir, the valley is all set to host a film festival next month that is expected to bring about a bouquet of quality films to the valley for Kashmiris, especially the youth. Ironically, for nearly three decades, Kashmir doesn't have a single movie hall.

A first-of-its-kind initiative in the valley — which ironically was once a top shooting destination for Bollywood filmmakers, local NGO Actors' Creative Theatre will organise a Kashmir World Film Festival in Srinagar between July 1 and 5.

Around 40 films and documentaries spanning various categories will be screened at the festival at Srinagar's Tagore Hall. The organisers have received 60 entries so far. A preference will be given to those made by Kashmiri filmmakers, organisers said. Some of the Kashmiri films which will be screened are Partav, Kashmir Daily, Gul, Saaz, Ocean of Tears, among others.

Talking to DNA, festival director Mushtaaque Ali Ahmad Khan who was visiting Delhi recently, said Kashmir has no dearth of talented filmmakers and theatre artistes, but there is no platform to showcase their talent.

"The Kashmir World Film Festival is aimed at giving them a platform, and to encourage them to continue making films. Ever since people got to know about this, entries have been pouring. Several amature Kashmiri filmmakers as well as Kashmiri students of media and mass communication have also sent their entries, most of which are of non-fiction genre. Even on Eid, we received so many entries from Kashmir," Khan, also chairman of ACT, said.

Khan said the idea of organising a film festival first came to his mind when recently Kashmiri filmmaker Hussain Khan's film Kashmir Daily — based on a journalist's life — got a huge response when it was screened in Srinagar.

The festival will also procure some films from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), and some iconic films like Do Bigha Zamin and Kabuliwala for the restrospectives/special packages section.

Most of the films which will be screened have already secured a certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification. And for the others, all necessary government clearances will be taken before screening them, Khan said.

Information and Broadcasting ministry officials remained unavailable for comments despite repeated attempts.

Militant outfit Allah Tigers banned cinema halls and threatened to set them on fire in 1989, after which every cinema hall in the Valley was shut down. Years later, attempts were made to reopen two cinema halls which were again shut down within months.

In such a situation, isn't a full-fledged film festival a dangerous proposition for the Valley?

"This is not something I have plunged into. I have been acting since I was 13, and since then been closely associated with filmmaking. I have directed serials and documentaries for Doordarshan and plays for AIR. So, organising a film fest is only natural for me," Khan said.

BEHIND THE SCREEN

• ACT, the organiser of the film festival, has been working in the field of art, culture and literature for over 40 years now.
   
• The organisation currently has 25 students, most of whom are below 30. "Kashmiris love Bollywood and most of them want to be part of the industry, and not local programmes," Khan said, who has been busy meeting sponsors for a month.