SRINAGAR: The maiden International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir (IFFJK) is set to bring together an eminent jury comprising filmmakers, cinematographers, curators and cinema professionals from India and abroad.
Santosh Sivan, Dorothee Wenner, Keiko Bang, Sriram Raghavan and Himansu Sekhar Khatua will form the jury for the competitive sections of IFFJK 2026 and will collectively evaluate the films and decide the festival awards.
The festival will also have filmmaker and producer Ramesh Sippy, best known for Sholay, and Jammu and Kashmir-born filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra, known for films including 3 Idiots, PK and Mission Kashmir, as special guests.
Sivan, one of India’s leading cinematographers and filmmakers, is a founding member of the Indian Society of Cinematographers and an alumnus of the Film and Television Institute of India. He was the first cinematographer from the Asia-Pacific region to be admitted to the American Society of Cinematographers.
His credits include The Terrorist, while his contribution to international cinema was recognised with the Pierre Angénieux Tribute at the Cannes Film Festival in 2024. He has also served on several international film festival juries.
German filmmaker, curator, writer and journalist Dorothee Wenner brings an international perspective to the panel. Associated with the Berlin International Film Festival since 1990, she has worked as a programmer and delegate for India and Sub-Saharan Africa and served as director of the Berlinale Talent Campus in 2006 and 2008.
Wenner has also been associated with the Africa Movie Academy Awards and has worked extensively on feature films, filmmaking and cross-cultural collaborations involving India, Africa and Germany.
Japanese media entrepreneur, documentary filmmaker and producer Keiko Bang is another member of the jury. With more than three decades of experience in the media industry, Bang has produced over 50 documentaries and has worked on international co-productions across Asia.
She has served on various film festival juries and selection committees, including at MIFF 2024, and was appointed to the Institutional National Selection Committee at MIFF 2026.
Filmmaker and screenwriter Sriram Raghavan, known for his neo-noir films and thrillers, is also part of the jury. His directorial credits include Ek Hasina Thi, Johnny Gaddaar, Agent Vinod, Badlapur and Andhadhun.
Completing the panel is National Film Award-winning filmmaker and educator Himansu Sekhar Khatua. An FTII alumnus, Khatua has directed films including Shunya Swaropa and Ishanu and has been associated with film education and mentoring.
Khatua has served as director of the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute and has previously been part of film festival juries, including the Indian Panorama Feature Films Jury at IFFI 2024.
The organisers said the jury brings together expertise spanning cinematography, direction, documentary filmmaking, production, film curation and education.
The first edition of IFFJK, being organised by the Department of Information and Public Relations, Jammu and Kashmir, is aimed at providing a platform for established and emerging filmmakers while promoting cultural exchange through cinema.
The festival is expected to bring together filmmakers, artists, storytellers and cinema enthusiasts from across India and abroad, marking a new addition to Jammu and Kashmir’s cultural calendar.
