Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Three filmmakers from Jammu and Kashmir have secured three of the nine awards presented at the First International Film Festival of Jammu & Kashmir 2026, a strong showing that marks a significant moment of recognition for the region’s growing filmmaking community on a platform that drew acclaimed filmmakers, artists, technicians and cinema enthusiasts from across India and around the world.
Baba Tasaduq Hussain won the Best Cinematography Award for his documentary Naqsh-e-Daur (The Story of Ghulam Nabi Dhar), earning praise for its visual storytelling and cinematic treatment of its subject. The Best Emerging Filmmaker Award went to Askini: The Guiding Darkness, directed by Ajit Singh Bhasin, in recognition of the film’s distinctive cinematic voice and promising creative approach, while filmmaker Kapil Matto’s Tasrufdar – The Jinns of Kashmir claimed the Best Film from Jammu & Kashmir Select category, a win that celebrated a work drawing deeply on the region’s distinctive cultural and storytelling traditions.
Together, the three awards, spanning cinematography, emerging filmmaking and best regional film, underlined the diversity and depth of cinematic talent present in Jammu and Kashmir today. Beyond the award winners, several other locally made films drew wide appreciation from festival audiences, including Batt Koch (The Lost Lane), directed by Siddarth Koul and Ankit Wali, which was screened as the festival’s closing film and received notable praise from renowned filmmaker Ramesh Sippy and the audience alike. Rahat Shah Kazmi’s Love in Vietnam, made by the Jammu and Kashmir based director, was also screened during the festival and was widely appreciated by viewers.
The recognition carries particular significance given that the inaugural IFFJK offered filmmakers from Jammu and Kashmir an international platform to present their work alongside films from across the country and the world, a first for the region’s film community. The strong showing by local filmmakers demonstrates the festival’s role in creating meaningful opportunities for storytellers from the Valley to connect with wider audiences, industry professionals and the global cinematic community, while also reflecting the evolving creative landscape of the Union Territory, where filmmakers are increasingly drawing on local histories, folklore, landscapes, contemporary realities and cultural narratives across diverse cinematic forms.
The achievement is expected to further encourage young filmmakers and emerging artists from the region to pursue their creative ambitions and continue telling stories rooted in the unique experiences, heritage and cultural identity of Jammu and Kashmir. The First International Film Festival of Jammu & Kashmir, organised by the Department of Information and Public Relations, has in its debut edition emerged as an important platform not only for showcasing global cinema but also for placing the creative voices of J&K before a wider national and international audience.
