Top Bollywood, Hollywood personalities to attend
*Major tourist destinations being finalized to screen movies
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, June 2: For the first time, Jammu and Kashmir will host International Film Festival from September 7-11 this year with participation of top Bollywood and Hollywood personalities and screening of hit movies from across the world.
The event has been named as Ist International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir (IFFJK) with its inaugural and concluding functions scheduled to be held at SKICC Srinagar while other major locations for screening of the movies are being finalized, official sources told the Excelsior.
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However, Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg, Bhaderwah and Jammu are expected to be other destinations though a final call is yet to be taken by the Government for which an Organizing Committee of the senior officers is being set up.
The first ever International Film Festival in Jammu and Kashmir is expected to cost Rs 20.75 crore and budgetary provisions have been made for the purpose.
The IFFJK will be held through National Film Development Corporation (NFDC). The Government will shortly sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the NFDC, the sources said.
“The Government will invite and is expecting participation of top personalities from Bollywood and Hollywood. Leading film Producers, Directors and Actors from across the country are likely to join the IFFJK which will witness screening of hit movies from across the world,” the sources said.
The event is scheduled within 10 days of culmination of annual pilgrimage of Shri Amarnath Ji in South Kashmir Himalayas. The 57-day-long yatra is being held from July 3 to August 28.
The Government is confident that the first-ever International Film Festival in Jammu and Kashmir will once again bring back the Bollywood to the UT as Kashmir once used to be their most favourite destination. After eruption of militancy, the Bollywood shifted to other places though occasionally some movies were shot in the Valley. Still, some Directors are shooting their movies in Kashmir.
“The successful hosting of the event will also send a message of peace in Kashmir to the world and attract the film-makers,” the sources said.
Besides leading film-personalities, they said, the IFFJK is also aimed at promoting tourism in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Already, the sources said, the tourist season is witnessing encouraging response from the visitors across the country and running of two Vande Bharat Express trains from Jammu to Srinagar has given further boost to the tourism sector.
The upcoming 57-day-long annual pilgrimage of Shri Amarnath Ji is also expected to witness arrival of large number of pilgrims from across the country to Jammu and Kashmir. With good response to registration of pilgrims, the administration is anticipating huge rush of yatris this year. The pilgrimage will start from July 3 and conclude on August 28 coinciding with auspicious Shrawan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan.
Sources said a detailed schedule on the IFFJK like screening of movies and venues will be finalized by an Organizing Committee of the officers in consultations with the NFDC once the MoU is finalized and signed.
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