Five films, helmed by directors from Jammu and Kashmir, have been selected for the J&K Select Section, the competitive category of the 1st International Film Festival of Jammu & Kashmir (IFFJK), 2026.
The films were recommended by the Preview Committee constituted for the festival, following a review of submissions and assessment of their artistic merit and suitability for the competitive section. The selection reflects a diverse range of narratives, genres and perspectives, with a particular focus on stories rooted in Jammu and Kashmir's cultural heritage, social realities and human experiences.
The selected films include 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.
Spanning Kashmiri and Hindi languages, the films explore themes ranging from childhood, family and memory to displacement, identity, heritage, resilience and the changing social landscape of Kashmir.
Searching for the Grandpa follows two young siblings in a Kashmiri village on Eid. Arifa centres on a woman returning to her ancestral home in Kashmir and confronting memories of her childhood and father. Batt Koch explores displacement, identity and the enduring idea of home through the story of a Kashmiri migrant family. Tasrufdaar (Djinns of Kashmir) weaves together mystery, memory and the scars of Kashmir's past, while Naqsh-e-Daur portrays the life and legacy of a Padma Shri-honoured woodcarver in downtown Srinagar, highlighting Kashmir's craftsmanship, heritage and resilience.
The selected films will form part of the competitive programming of the four-day International Film Festival, offering audiences and filmmakers an opportunity to engage with distinctive cinematic voices and stories from Jammu and Kashmir.
