Onlykashmir.in News Desk
The 5th edition of the Kashmir World Film Festival (KWFF) is set to illuminate the cultural landscape of Srinagar from November 1 to 7, 2025, at Tagore Hall. The grand inauguration will be held on Saturday, November 1, at 3:00 PM, marking the beginning of a week-long celebration of world cinema. Addressing a press conference, KWFF director Mushtaq Ali said that 60 films are scheduled to be screened during the seven-day event.
This year, the festival received 123 film entries, out of which 60 have been shortlisted — 55 in the competition section and 5 in the non-competition category. International submissions feature acclaimed works from Bangladesh, Egypt, Germany, Iran, Nepal, Palestine, Sri Lanka, and the UAE, while Indian entries span 15 languages, including Kashmiri, Dogri, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Ladakhi, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Pahadi, Punjabi, Tamil, Tibetan, and Urdu.
The 5th KWFF will host an impressive lineup of film personalities. Prominent Bollywood figures such as Raza Murad, Rajit Kapur, Jayati Bhatia, Shishir Sharma, Madhur Bhandarkar, Lalit Parimoo, and Sunit Tandon are confirmed to attend. Invitations to Nana Patekar, Adil Hussain, Manoj Joshi, Vijay Raaz, Bhagyashree, and Vidhu Vinod Chopra are also underway. From Jammu and Kashmir’s vibrant film community, celebrated artists including Tariq Javaid, Waheed Jeelani, Mir Sarwar, Ameen Bhat, Dr. Asrar Sultanpuri, and Gulzar Ganai will participate.
Beyond screenings, the festival will feature interactive sessions, filmmaking workshops, and masterclasses conducted by renowned directors and actors, aimed at nurturing young filmmakers and cinema students with insights into both regional and international storytelling.
The Executive Board for this edition comprises Humayun Qaisar, Dr. Shahid Rasool, Khair-un-Nissa Shah, and Abhijit Patil, who have extended their gratitude to all supporting institutions and partners for their cooperation in sustaining this cinematic tradition.
Since its inception, KWFF has emerged as a leading cultural platform in Kashmir, having showcased over 460 films from 15 countries, including the USA, Italy, Iran, Afghanistan, and Turkey, while honouring 30 films with awards across categories such as Feature, Documentary, Short, Animation, and Student Films.
This year’s edition promises to further strengthen the festival’s vision of connecting Kashmir’s creative spirit with the global film fraternity.
Photo: Iqbal Beigh
