Srinagar: The International Film Festival of Kashmir (IFFK) 2015 was inaugurated on Monday with the screening of Iranian short film, Waskat and J&K (Gilgit-Baltistan) film, Stunning as Curtain Raiser.
The inaugural days screenings were held at Conference Hall of Cultural Academy, Lal Mandi followed by the Opening Press Conference.
The main screening event will be held at Tagore Hall on December 22 and 23.
The film festival which is being organized by Experimental Moving Images and Theatre Association (XMITA) is the fifth edition of IFFK marking 11th anniversary of the Socio-Cultural NGO with longest-ever lineup of movies across the globe.
Over three days starting Monday, 40 movies in over 10 international languages will be screened at a festival expected to attract some 2000 viewers. The selected films belong to 15 countries including Iran, Russia, UK, USA, Phillipines, Turkey, Mexico and India, said Ali Emran, the Festival Curator. He was flanked by X-mita chairperson Yaqout Mushtaq, local filmmaker Gul Reyaz and Mumbai based filmmaker Umar Imtiyaz.
Emran said the highlights of the IFFK 2015 include 8 World Premiers, 7 International Premiers along with Asian and Local Premiers.
This is the good opportunity for Media and Film Students, and Movie buffs to witness a wide spectrum of world cinema including International Competition, Spanish Package, Best of Indian Panorama and J&K Select on December 22 and 23 at Tagore Hall, he said.
The first film festival under IFFK was held in 2007 which has since grown from a relatively small gathering in a basement to the largest festival in Srinagar.
The films have been shortlisted by a selection committee comprising of renowned people from film industry, school of Cinema Studies and theatre including after untiring efforts.
The committee has shortlisted Forty-four (44) world-class films from all genres out of about 400 entries from more than 50 countries.
The films include seven (7) World Premieres, fifteen (15) South Asian Premieres, two (2) International Premieres, One Asian Premier and One Indian Premier.
On the occasion XMITA also spoke about the Pan LoC J&K Development Plan prepared and designed by the organization in association with Allied Peace Council (APC).
Chairperson Yaqout Mushtaq said: From the past 8 years, XMITA and APC have been working very hard in association with the topmost think tanks from world over.
She said the organization have been able to create a development plan for entire J&K.
Along with infrastructure, governance optimization and engineering strategies for J&K. Pakistan Administrated J&K and Gilgat-Baltistan, XMITA has also developed a united sensuous first of its kind after 1931, and it’s schedule will probably be released in May 2015, she added.
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