Awantipora: The Department of Journalism and Mass Communication (DJMC), Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST), in collaboration with Film Southasia (FSA), hosted the Travelling FSA Film Festival 2025 today.
The festival brought to Kashmir a collection of internationally acclaimed films from across South Asia, celebrating the power of storytelling through documentary and independent cinema.
The festival featured a competitive showcase of independent and student films, followed by interactive post-screening discussions encouraging dialogue between filmmakers and audiences. Nineteen films were screened, including fifteen student entries and four critically acclaimed films from the FSA collection.
Presiding over the inaugural session, Prof. A. H. Moon, Dean of Academic Affairs, IUST, commended the initiative as a meaningful step toward intercultural communication through films. “By organising film festivals and creating spaces where art and media converge, the department is nurturing critical thinkers and creative storytellers who can contribute meaningfully to our times,” he said.
Director, Film Southasia, Mitu Varma said, it is their mission to see South Asia as “one cultural space.” “There are several challenges, but it’s time to come together and seek solutions from within ourselves, because divided, we will not get anywhere,” she said. Akmal Hanan, Producer at the Educational Multimedia Research Centre (EMRC), University of Kashmir, said, the festival has brought together films, filmmakers and audiences from diverse backgrounds, fostering dialogue and understanding through storytelling. Dr. Afroz Bisati, Dean, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, IUST, lauded DJMC for creating a bridge between academia and society through visual storytelling. “Films reflect society and inspire change. Such events bring meaningful conversations to life,” she noted.
Earlier, welcoming the participants, Head, DJMC, Dr. Rabia Noor, said the event aimed to celebrate the power of films, not just as a form of art and entertainment, “but as a medium that informs, inspires and ignites a meaningful dialogue about the art and practice of filmmaking.” “The collaboration with Film Southasia marks a significant step in enriching our students’ engagement with documentary and visual storytelling, which is a vital component of media education,” she added.
Meanwhile, a special edition of the IUST news magazine, Times Echo, themed on disaster management, was released on the occasion. The festival concluded with the announcement of awards. Stitch, a film by Government Degree College, Baramulla, won the Best Film Award. Dr. Ruheela Hassan, Dean of Outreach, IUST, delivered the formal vote of thanks.
The festival was supported by Kashmir Observer as the media partner, and sponsored by Jammu and Kashmir Bank Ltd., Birla School Open Minds International School, Pampore, Medina Enterprises, and Kaphtech Infrastructure.
