Omar Abdullah seeks IICT-NFDC tie-up to revive J&K's film industry

J&K CM Omar Abdullah visited Mumbai's IICT-NFDC campus to explore collaborations for reviving the film industry in the union territory through film education, creative technologies, and building local talent in post-production and VFX.

Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir, Omar Abdullah, on Thursday, visited the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) campus at the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), Mumbai, to explore avenues for institutional collaboration focused on film education, creative technologies, and capacity building for the revival of the film industry in the union territory. The visit, held at the IICT-NFDC Campus, was hosted by Vishwas Deoskar, Chief Executive Officer, IICT, along with Munjal Shroff, Governing Council Member of IICT, as per a press note.

Exploring Creative Technologies

During the visit, Omar Abdullah viewed a "curated audiovisual presentation at the Rangayan Preview Theatre, outlining IICT's vision, academic framework, and role in advancing India's creative economy. " This was followed by a live demonstration at the Anubhuti Drishya Immersive Studio Lab, showcasing applications of augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality through hands-on experiential interaction. The programme also featured a Digital Twin demonstration at the Photogrammetry Studio, where a live 3D photogrammetry scan was conducted to create a digital avatar, highlighting the growing relevance of immersive and emerging technologies in contemporary filmmaking, post-production, and content creation.

Omar Abdullah on Reviving J&K's Film Industry

Speaking during the interaction, Omar Abdullah reflected on Kashmir's deep cinematic legacy and the changing nature of filmmaking. He said, "There was a time when a film was not considered complete without at least one song sequence shot in Kashmir. Over the years, circumstances changed and filmmaking in Jammu and Kashmir became difficult. Today, as conditions improve, we are consciously working to restore the relationship between cinema and Jammu & Kashmir."

"At the same time, filmmaking itself has evolved. Much of what once required large physical setups can now be achieved through computers, post-production, and advanced technologies. If we want Jammu & Kashmir to once again become an attractive destination for filmmaking, we must build local human talent and post-production capability."

"It is important that our own stories are told by our own people. Through a formal relationship with institutions like IICT and NFDC, we want our students to learn new-age skills in editing, sound, lighting, VFX, and post-production. This will not only reduce costs for filmmakers but also create jobs and sustainable livelihoods in an industry that continues to grow," Omar said.

IICT Welcomes Collaboration

Speaking on the occasion, Vishwas Deoskar, Chief Executive Officer, IICT, said, "We are grateful to the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir for visiting the IICT campus. The interaction was extremely meaningful, and we look forward to building productive collaborations that can enable skill development, foster innovation, and create long-term employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for young talent from Jammu & Kashmir, particularly within the media, entertainment, and creative technology sectors."

Omar Abdullah also visited the NFDC Bharat Pavilion and Museum. (ANI)

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