Jammu and Kashmir is about to host its first international film festival — and there is a way onto its screen that is open only to people from here, but it closes on Tuesday, 26 August. If you make films, read this today.
The Emerging Filmmakers Competition is run by the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) as part of the International Film Festival of Jammu & Kashmir (IFFJK) 2026. The winning film gets a festival screening, felicitation at the closing ceremony, a certificate and a digital showcase — a genuine first credit on an international festival platform.
Can you enter?
Indian citizens domiciled in J&K (verified at registration).
Aged 18 to 39 as on 1 September 2026.
No entry fee is stated on the contest page.
What you have to make
A short film, maximum 5 minutes (300 seconds) including credits.
At least Full HD, 1920 x 1080, 16:9 landscape, exported as MP4 / H.264.
Hindi, English or a recognised J&K dialect — with English subtitles mandatory for regional-language films.
How to submit
Register on the official IFFJK website, then share a single Google Drive link containing three subfolders:
Portfolio — a PDF, up to 10 MB.
Making Bytes — up to 5 photos and 5 videos, 500 MB combined.
Final Film — your export.
Submit that link through the official form. Registration and submission both close on 26 August 2026.
The festival itself runs 7-10 September across Srinagar, Jammu and Gulmarg, with Movie Time Cinemas, KC Central as the Jammu venue and sections including a J&K Select showcase. The competition is the part with a clock on it. If you have a short sitting on a drive — or two days and an idea — this is a rare, free, J&K-only route onto that screen. Check the full rules on the official page before you export.
Sources: IFFJK Emerging Filmmakers Competition (official); IFFJK 2026 (official); Daily Excelsior.
