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Three Virtual Bharat Documentaries Selected for Kashmir Film Festival
Three short films from the Virtual Bharat project will be shown at a new film festival in Jammu and Kashmir.
The festival will take place from September 7 to 10, 2026.
Two films will compete for awards, while one will only be shown to audiences.
Naqsh-e-Daur is about a Kashmiri walnut-wood carver named Ghulam Nabi Dar.
Taleem explains how carpet makers use a traditional oral system to create detailed carpets.
Kunemechi follows a man in Nagaland building a traditional home using family-taught skills.
The festival will show films in Srinagar, Jammu and Gulmarg.
A jury of five film professionals will assess the competition entries.
Three documentaries from filmmaker Bharatbala’s Virtual Bharat series were selected for the International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir in 2026.
Naqsh-e-Daur and Taleem will compete in the JK Select section, while Kunemechi will screen outside competition.
The films explore Kashmir’s walnut carving and carpet-weaving traditions, alongside a traditional Naga home-building practice.
The festival, themed “Rang-e-Cinema,” will run from September 7 to 10 across Srinagar, Jammu and Gulmarg.
Organisers received about 1,100 entries from more than 50 countries and shortlisted 135 films from 41 countries.
- Who
- Filmmaker Bharatbala’s Virtual Bharat series and the International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir.
- What
- Three Virtual Bharat documentaries were selected for festival screening, with two entering competition and one in the non-competition section.
- Where
- Screenings will take place in Srinagar, Jammu and Gulmarg, Jammu and Kashmir.
- When
- The festival is scheduled for September 7–10, 2026; the announcement was published September 5, 2026.
- Why
- The festival aims to promote cinema, local filmmakers, cultural exchange and film tourism, while the documentaries preserve and present traditional crafts and culture.
Key facts
- Festival
- International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir (IFFJK) 2026
- Festival theme
- “Rang-e-Cinema”
- Selected films
- Naqsh-e-Daur, Taleem and Kunemechi
- Entries received
- Around 1,100 submissions from more than 50 countries
- Films shortlisted
- 135 films from 41 countries
- Competition selections
- Naqsh-e-Daur and Taleem were selected for the JK Select competition section
- Non-competition selection
- Kunemechi will screen in the non-competition section
- Virtual Bharat goal
- A short-documentary series intended to produce 1,000 films about India’s people, traditions, art and folklore
Sources
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