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    EYE ON BOLLYWOOD                                                          MAY 15, 2026     |  The Indian Eye 38

                   Kashmir’s Big Screen Dream

                                        Coming True Soon

             The Koshur International Film Festival hopes to turn Kashmir into a global cultural hub

                              by giving local cinema, art and storytelling an international stage.

            OUR BUREAU                                                                                 festivals in Goa, Kerala and Mumbai have evolved
                                                                                                       into  platforms  for  networking,  investment  and  in-
            Mumbai
                                                                                                       ternational collaboration.
                 or decades, Kashmir has occupied a powerful                                              Organisers of KIFF hope Kashmir can eventu-
                 place in India’s imagination — as a landscape                                         ally enter that ecosystem.
            Fof extraordinary beauty, political conflict and                                              The  festival  is  expected  to  bring  filmmakers,
            poetic memory. Now, the valley is attempting to re-                                        writers,  theatre  groups  and  cultural  organisations
            claim another identity: that of a vibrant cultural and                                     from India and abroad into the valley. For local art-
            cinematic centre.                                                                          ists, that interaction could prove invaluable. Kash-
                The announcement of the Koshur Internation-                                            mir has no large-scale film industry infrastructure
            al Film Festival (KIFF), scheduled to be held in Sri-                                      comparable  to  Mumbai,  Hyderabad  or  Chennai.
            nagar from October 10 to 12, 2026, represents more                                         Young filmmakers often struggle with funding, ex-
            than the launch of a film event. It signals an effort to                                   posure  and  distribution  opportunities.  A  festival
            revive Kashmiri storytelling, reconnect local artists                                      with international participation could help bridge
            with global audiences and position the valley as a se-                                     that gap.
            rious destination for cinema and cultural exchange.                                           The revival of cinema in Kashmir also comes
                At a time when regional cinema across India                                            at an interesting historical moment. The valley once
            is gaining unprecedented attention, Kashmir too is                                         had a thriving culture of theatres and film screen-
            seeking space for its own voice.                                                           ings, but decades of violence and instability severely
                The festival was formally announced during a                                           damaged that ecosystem. Many cinema halls shut
            news conference addressed by veteran theatre artist                                        down, artistic spaces disappeared and cultural activ-
            and Patron-in-Chief of the festival, MK Raina, one                                         ities shrank under political uncertainty.
            of  the  most  respected  cultural  figures  associated                                       Recent  years,  however,  have  seen  cautious
            with Kashmiri theatre and cinema.                                                          attempts to rebuild those spaces. Film screenings,
               “KIFF will serve as an important platform for                                           theatre performances and cultural events are slowly
            promoting regional cinema and encouraging young                                            returning. KIFF appears to be part of that broader
            filmmakers  from  Jammu  and  Kashmir  to  show-                                           effort to restore public cultural life.
            case their talent before an international audience,”                                          The involvement of figures like MK Raina also
            Raina said.                                                                                gives  the  initiative  deeper  emotional  resonance.
                That ambition reflects a larger transformation                                         Raina,  who  has  spent  decades  promoting  theatre
            taking  place  within  Indian  cinema.  Over  the  last                                    and  Kashmiri  culture,  represents  a  generation  of
            decade, regional films have increasingly challenged                                        artists shaped by both the richness and trauma of
            the dominance of mainstream Hindi cinema. Audi-                                            the region’s history. His association with KIFF sug-
            ences are now more willing to embrace stories root-                                        gests the festival is not simply a commercial venture
            ed in local cultures, languages and identities. From                                       but also a cultural mission.
            Malayalam cinema’s global acclaim to the rise of                                              The challenge, of course, will be sustainability.
            Marathi  and  Assamese  filmmaking,  India’s  cine-                                        Film  festivals  require  long-term  institutional  sup-
            matic  landscape  has  become  more  decentralised                                         port, consistent funding and international credibility
            and diverse.                                  The festival was formally announced during a news conference   to survive beyond their early years. Many regional
                Kashmir, despite its rich literary and artistic tra-  addressed by veteran theatre artist and Patron-in-Chief of the   festivals struggle after initial enthusiasm fades.
            ditions, has often remained on the margins of that   festival, MK Raina, one of the most respected cultural figures   Yet even the attempt matters.
            movement.                                       associated with Kashmiri theatre and cinema (File photo)  In a world increasingly dominated by streaming
                For years, the region appeared in Indian cine-                                         platforms and algorithm-driven entertainment, film
            ma mostly as a picturesque backdrop rather than as   to distribute awards, including a Best Film honour.  festivals still offer something unique: a physical space
            a source of authentic local storytelling. Films shot   But the festival’s significance lies not merely in   where culture, politics, art and identity intersect. For
            in  Kashmir  frequently  reduced  the  valley  to  sce-  screenings or awards. Its real importance is symbol-  Kashmir,  that  intersection  is  especially  important.
            nic landscapes or political symbolism, leaving little   ic and economic.                      KIFF is ultimately about more than cinema. It
            room for Kashmiri voices themselves. KIFF aims to   Cinema festivals today are no longer just artis-  is about who tells Kashmir’s stories, how those sto-
            change that narrative by placing local filmmakers                                          ries  travel  and  whether  the  valley  can  reclaim  its
            and artists at the centre of the conversation.  tic gatherings; they are cultural industries. Events   place as a centre of artistic imagination rather than
                                                          such as Cannes, Busan and Toronto have demon-
                The three-day festival will feature screenings of                                      merely a subject of headlines.
            feature films, documentaries and short films in local   strated how film festivals can reshape cities, attract   For three days in October next year, Srinagar
                                                          tourism,  create  creative  economies  and  establish
            languages alongside panel discussions, interactive ses-  international cultural identities. Even within India,   will  attempt  exactly  that  —  turning  the  spotlight
            sions and cultural programmes. Organisers also plan                                        away from conflict and toward creativity.

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