Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], September 6 (ANI): The first International Film Festival Jammu & Kashmir is set to begin on Monday, with more than 300 guests from across India and abroad expected to attend the four-day event, Jammu and Kashmir Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) Director Shreya Singhal said on Sunday.

The festival will be held from September 7 to 10, with the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar serving as the main venue. Ancillary events will be held in Jammu, while an event trip to Gulmarg is also planned.

Speaking to ANI about the preparations, Singhal said arrangements for the festival were in full swing and guests from across the country and abroad had already started arriving.

'Jammu and Kashmir is hosting the first International Film Festival Jammu & Kashmir from September 7 to 10. The main venue is SKICC, with ancillary venues in Jammu and even an event trip to Gulmarg. The festival is going to start tomorrow, and our preparations are in full swing. Our guests have started arriving,' Singhal said.

She said the organisers were incorporating local cultural themes into the festival's decorations to give visitors an authentic experience of Jammu and Kashmir.

'We feel that this event should feature local cultural themes, including flowers and their natural beauty as part of our decoration. We are expecting more than 300 guests from around the country and around the world so they can experience what Jammu and Kashmir is all about,' she said.

Singhal added that efforts were also being made to turn the festival venues into showcases of the region's culture, with support from the Department of Floriculture and the Culture Department.

'Our cultural teams are deputed at key venues, airports, and railway stations so guests get an authentic feel of Jammu and Kashmir,' she said.

According to Singhal, more than 130 films from over 40 countries will be screened during the festival, allowing audiences to experience diverse cinematic traditions from across the world.

The organisers are making final arrangements at SKICC to welcome filmmakers, artists, delegates and cinema enthusiasts for the maiden edition of the festival.

The festival is expected to provide a platform for filmmakers while showcasing Jammu and Kashmir's cultural heritage, scenic beauty and local artistic traditions. (ANI)