SRINAGAR: The inaugural International Film Festival of Jammu Kashmir (IFFJK) will begin on September 7, with a four-day programme bringing filmmakers, artists and delegates from India and abroad together in the Valley.
The festival will be inaugurated with musical performances by Jaan Nissar Lone, Rani Hazarika and Palak Muchhal, while singer Usha Uthup will lead the closing ceremony. Bollywood singer Sunidhi Chauhan is also scheduled to interact with festival delegates in a conversation during the event.
The festival is being organised by the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), Jammu and Kashmir, in collaboration with the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC).
The curtain-raiser for the festival was recently held in Srinagar in the presence of Jammu Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, with filmmaker Imtiaz Ali also associated with the event.
The opening musical programme will feature Jaan Nissar Lone, a singer, composer and music entrepreneur from Jammu Kashmir. He is the founder of ARMS Record Label (AR Music Studios) and has worked on collaborations aimed at taking Kashmiri music to wider audiences.
Lone currently serves as Global President of the BRICS Culture Media Forum and was among the Indian representatives at Intervision, the international music competition held in Moscow, where he served on the international professional jury.
Sunidhi Chauhan will participate in a conversation with festival delegates rather than a musical performance, sharing experiences from her career in the Indian music industry.
The festival will conclude with a performance by Usha Uthup, whose career spans several decades in Indian popular music.
The inaugural edition is aimed at providing a platform for cinema and creative talent while showcasing Jammu Kashmir’s cultural identity through a programme combining films, music and cultural interactions.
