SRINAGAR: Five films directed by filmmakers from Jammu and Kashmir have been selected for the JK Select Section, the competitive category of the inaugural International Film Festival of Jammu Kashmir (IFFJK) 2026.
The selection was made on the recommendation of the festival’s Preview Committee after examining the submitted films and assessing their artistic merit and suitability for the competition.
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, made in Kashmiri and Hindi, cover themes including childhood, family, memory, displacement, identity, cultural heritage and social change in Kashmir.
Searching for the Grandpa follows two young siblings in a Kashmiri village during Eid, while Arifa tells the story of a woman returning to her ancestral home and confronting memories of her childhood and father.
Batt Koch examines displacement, identity and the meaning of home through the experiences of a Kashmiri migrant family. Tasrufdaar (Djinns of Kashmir) combines mystery and memory with the lingering impact of Kashmir’s past.
Naqsh-e-Daur (The Story of Ghulam Nabi Dhar) focuses on 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 programme of the four-day IFFJK 2026, bringing filmmakers and audiences together around stories and cinematic perspectives emerging from Jammu and Kashmir.
