International Film Festival kicks off in Kashmir

Srinagar: The three-day International Film Festival, showcasing 15 international documentary flicks by distinguished filmmakers across the globe, began here on Friday (November 13). The event, which is being jointly organised by a Srinagar-based NGO, Experimental Moving Images and Theatre Association (XMITA) in association with the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, is expected to be the real treat for filmmakers and citizens of the valley who often live under the shades of terror.

Flicks like `Khayal Darpan`, a film exploring the progress of classical music in Pakistan, `The Lightning Testimonies`, a film reflecting the past clashes in the subcontinent through experiences of gender hostility, `Bronx Princess`, a film on an American-born Muslim girl in look for her identity and many others are being screened during the event. Afshana Rasheed, a local, said that such film festival would encourage filmmaking among the youngsters here. "We are feeling good because of the trend that is setting in Kashmir. Visually, we have lot of talent here with reference to theatre and all these things. So this (film festival) will promote the local talent and local youth. And after seeing the interest of the people inside the theatre, I liked that and I am feeling good that youth are thinking something different apart from going into a particular field," said another resident of the valley, Afshana Rasheed. Peerzada Gulam Nabi, another local said that such events will educate about the culture and music of other countries. Ali Emran Kureshi, a member of the organising committee said the endeavor of the film festival is to encourage intelligent cinema in Kashmir. "The ideology of our NGO, Experimental Moving Images and Theatre Association, is to promote intelligent cinema in Kashmir and as far as Kashmir is concerned, here there is virtually no film industry and we hope it will grow in the future. So we are trying to shape the film industry of Kashmir into an intelligent cinema and not into entertainment or commercial cinema," said Ali Emran Kureshi, a member of Experimental Moving Images and Theatre Association. Discussions pertaining to films would also be held at the festival. ANI