A new script: Kashmir hosts its inaugural international film festival
Kashmir has launched its first international film festival, marking a significant cultural milestone for the region. The event features 135 films from 41 countries and aims to revitalize the local cinema industry and tourism.
Why it matters
This initiative signals a shift toward normalcy and cultural integration in a region long affected by militancy and political instability.
Kashmir, where all 15 cinema halls had closed down in the wake of militancy over three decades, on Monday (September 7, 2026) hosted its first-ever four-day international film festival with the screening of the Lebanese film ‘Dead Dog’, a drama on the reunion of an estranged couple.
Under a multi-layer security cover, director Sarah Francis’ movie, the first among 135 films to be screened from 41 countries, was shown at the Inox theatre in Srinagar’s Shiv Pora area. The multiplex is the first functional cinema hall to reopen in the valley after 23 years in 2022.
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