JAMMU, Sep 4: Three short documentaries from Virtual Bharat, filmmaker Bharatbala’s acclaimed #1,000-film of India’s untold stories, have been selected for screening at the International Film Festival of Jammu & Kashmir (IFFJK) 2026 — themed “Rang-e-Cinema” — to be held from September 7 to 10, 2026 across Srinagar, Jammu, and Gulmarg.
Naqsh-e-Daur: The Story of Ghulam Nabi Dar and Taleem have been selected in the festival’s J&K Select Competition Section, while Kunemechi: A Home Carved in Ancestry will feature in the Non-Competition Section.
Naqsh-e-Daur: The Story of Ghulam Nabi Dar In Srinagar’s Safakadal, master craftsman Ghulam Nabi Dar has spent six decades carving Kashmir’s history into walnut wood. Trained under Noor Din Tikoo, he preserves chinar motifs and Quranic calligraphy despite industrialisation and conflict. Now nationally recognised, he mentors young artisans, ensuring this centuries-old craft survives — carrying forward not just patterns, but resilience, memory, and devotion across generations.
Taleem In the heart of Kashmir, a centuries-old tradition of carpet weaving thrives, where skilled artisans follow the Taleem, a sacred code passed down through generations, to weave intricate designs of silk and wool. This oral tradition brings precision, speed and teamwork as thousands of hands meticulously craft carpets imbued with cultural significance. From the spinners and dyers to the weavers and finishers, each step is a testament to the multiplication of human potential and resilience.
Kunemechi: A Home Carved in Ancestry In Dimapur, Nagaland, Phesao builds a home by hand, blending inherited Naga woodcarving traditions with formal training from JJ School of Arts. Following traditional Nagamese construction principles, he crafts a house that embodies patience and care. Teaching his children the craft, he passes down not just technique, but responsibility — transforming timber into a living heirloom of memory and identity.
IFFJK 2026, organised by the Jammu & Kashmir government’s Department of Information and Public Relations, marks the Union Territory’s first-ever international film festival. From over 1,100 entries across 50-plus countries, 135 films from 41 countries have been shortlisted for screening. A five-member international jury — comprising cinematographer-director Santosh Sivan, Oscar- and BAFTA-winning sound designer Resul Pookutty, German film curator Dorothee Wenner, media entrepreneur Keiko Bang, and National Award-winning filmmaker-educator Himansu Sekhar Khatua — will assess entries across the festival’s international, national, and J&K-focused competition sections. Screenings will take place at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC), INOX Multiplex Srinagar, Movie Time Cinemas in Jammu, and the Gulmarg Convention Centre. The festival also runs an Emerging Filmmakers Contest to spotlight local talent, as part of its broader push to promote filmmaking, cultural exchange, and film tourism in the Valley.
Virtual Bharat is a #1000 short documentary series of India’s untold stories, created by filmmaker Bharatbala and launched on August 15, 2019. Envisioned as “culture on the cloud,” the project aims to produce #1000 short documentaries capturing everyday people, traditions, art, and folklore from across India. Featuring collaborators such as A.R. Rahman, Gulzar, and Shreya Ghoshal, Virtual Bharat blends cinematic craft with grassroots storytelling. Its mission is to preserve cultural wisdom and spotlight communities often left unseen, building what it calls the “largest digital repository of human stories” — a living, evolving portrait of India’s infinite identity.
Bharatbala Ganapathy is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer who has worked across cinema, television commercials, and documentaries. He first gained national attention for the patriotic music videos Vande Mataram (1997) and Jana Gana Mana (2000), created with long-time collaborator A.R. Rahman. His debut feature, Hari Om, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2004, winning eight audience awards, followed by the critically acclaimed Maryan (2013), starring Dhanush and Parvathy. He has directed over 500 advertising campaigns, including “Incredible India” and “School Chalen Hum,” and recently won the National Award for Best Documentary for his visually compelling and socially relevant film, Ramnami.