Srinagar, Sep 6 (KNS): The inaugural International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir (IFFJK) 2026 will bring together an international jury comprising acclaimed filmmakers and cinema professionals, while filmmakers Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Ramesh Sippy will attend the festival as special guests, organisers said.

The five-member jury includes cinematographer and filmmaker Santosh Sivan, German filmmaker and curator Dorothee Wenner, Japanese media entrepreneur and documentary filmmaker Keiko Bang, filmmaker and screenwriter Sriram Raghavan, and National Film Award-winning filmmaker Himansu Sekhar Khatua.

All jury members will evaluate films across the competitive sections and decide the awards, according to the organisers.

The composition of the jury brings together professionals with experience spanning cinematography, direction, documentary filmmaking, production, film curation and education, with careers extending across Indian and international cinema.

Sivan, a founding member of the Indian Society of Cinematographers and an alumnus of the Film and Television Institute of India, has worked as a cinematographer, filmmaker and producer. He was the first cinematographer from the Asia-Pacific region to be admitted to the American Society of Cinematographers.

He has received international recognition for his work, including the Pierre Angénieux Tribute at the Cannes Film Festival in 2024, and has served on several international film festival juries.

Wenner, a German filmmaker, curator, writer and journalist, has been associated with the Berlin International Film Festival since 1990, where she has served as a programmer and delegate for India and Sub-Saharan Africa. She has also worked with filmmakers and films from India, Africa and Germany.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

Bang, who has more than three decades of experience in the global media industry, has produced over 50 documentaries and worked on international co-productions across Asia. She has served on juries and selection committees of film festivals and was a jury member at the Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) in 2024.

Raghavan, known for films such as Ek Hasina Thi, Johnny Gaddaar, Agent Vinod, Badlapur and Andhadhun, is recognised for his work in the neo-noir and thriller genres of Hindi cinema.

Khatua, an FTII alumnus and National Film Award-winning filmmaker, director and educator, has directed films including Shunya Swaropa and Ishanu. He has also served as Director of the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute and has been associated with film festival juries, including the Indian Panorama Feature Films Jury at IFFI 2024.

The festival will also feature Chopra and Sippy as special guests. Chopra, a filmmaker, producer and screenwriter from Jammu and Kashmir, is known for films including 3 Idiots, PK and Mission Kashmir. Sippy is known for directing the landmark Hindi film Sholay.

Organisers said the festival aims to provide a platform for established and emerging filmmakers while facilitating interaction between the wider film community and audiences in Jammu and Kashmir.

The IFFJK is being organised by the Department of Information and Public Relations, Jammu and Kashmir. Its inaugural edition is intended to bring together filmmakers, artists, storytellers and cinema professionals from India and abroad.

The organisers said the jury's varied experience in filmmaking, cinematography, documentary production, curation and film education would guide the evaluation of entries in the competitive sections.(KNS)