Srinagar, October 8: A high-level delegation of the Kashmir Film & Television Association (KFTA) Thursday called on Sajjad Ghani Lone, President of Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Conference and apprised him of the concerns and grievances of the indigenous film fraternity of Jammu & Kashmir.
The delegation was led by Mushtaaque Ali Ahmad Khan, Founder & Director of the Kashmir World Film Festival (KWFF) and Chairman, KFTA, and comprised prominent members of the KWFF Management Committee, including Zameer Ashai, Hussein Khan, Aarif Zeeshan, Manzoor Mir, Hassan Javaid, Afnan Ashai and other members of the Valley’s film fraternity.
During the meeting, the delegation expressed a deep sense of alienation and neglect among local filmmakers, artists and technicians, particularly over what it described as the complete exclusion of the indigenous film fraternity from the recently held government-sponsored international film festival.
The delegation conveyed its concern that, despite substantial expenditure from the public exchequer, local filmmakers, technicians and other film professionals were neither adequately consulted nor meaningfully involved in the planning and execution of the event.
The delegation stressed that an international film festival is a specialised professional and artistic undertaking requiring experience, creative vision, technical expertise and sustained engagement with the filmmaking community. It, therefore, urged that such initiatives should not be treated merely as bureaucratic exercises.
The delegation also highlighted the long standing contribution of Mushtaaque Ali Ahmad Khan to the promotion of cinema and film culture in Jammu & Kashmir. He has successfully organised five editions of the Kashmir World Film Festival (KWFF) in Srinagar and the J&K International Film Festival (JAKIFF) in Pune in June 2022. He has also served as a member of the International Jury at NCIFF-2024 in Kathmandu, Nepal, besides being invited as a special delegate to reputed film festivals in Thiruvananthapuram, Sriganganagar, Delhi, Mumbai and other cities.
The delegation recalled that during 2017–18, when the reopening of cinemas in Kashmir appeared extremely difficult, Mushtaaque Ali Ahmad Khan and his team continued to advocate for cinema and sustained film-related cultural activity in the Valley.
The delegation submitted a detailed memorandum seeking the intervention of Tanvir Sadiq in taking up the concerns of the local film fraternity at the appropriate forums.
Key Demands
The delegation called for Transparency in expenditure: A public clarification and appropriate audit/review of the expenditure incurred on the recently organised government-sponsored film festival; Institutional support for indigenous platforms: Government support and institutional recognition for credible, established local platforms such as KWFF, which, according to the delegation, have been built over the years through personal commitment, resources and sustained efforts and Professional management of future festivals: Future international film festivals in J&K should be entrusted to experienced film professionals, with local filmmakers, artists and technicians placed at the core of their planning and execution.
Points Raised in the Memorandum
The delegation also sought to place on record its objection to the description of the recent government-sponsored event as the “first-ever” international film festival of J&K.
According to the memorandum, Kashmir World Film Festival (KWFF) was conceived and organised in Srinagar in ‘2017’, at a time when no cinema hall was operational in the Valley. The delegation maintained that the contribution of earlier indigenous film initiatives should be duly acknowledged in the official cultural history of J&K.
The delegation further expressed concern that, instead of strengthening established local institutions and platforms, government resources were utilised for a parallel initiative in which the local film fraternity felt inadequately represented.
The ‘KFTA’ delegation emphasised that ‘KWFF’ is not merely an annual event but a sustained cultural initiative aimed at placing Kashmir on the global cinematic map while providing opportunities and exposure to local filmmakers, artists and young talent.
The filmmakers reiterated their commitment to developing a vibrant and sustainable film ecosystem in Jammu & Kashmir and appealed to the Hon’ble Chief Minister to strengthen the local film fraternity through appropriate institutional, professional and financial support.
After giving a patient and sympathetic hearing to the delegation, Sajad Ghani Lone assured the members that their concerns and demands would be taken up at the appropriate highest forums on priority for their early and effective redressal. He also assured the delegation of his support in seeking appropriate consideration of the genuine concerns of the local film fraternity.
