Cinema Operations To Kickstart In Kashmir's Pulwama And Baramullah Among Others With 'Golden Era Film Festival'

With screens, reels café, reels point and more, the company plans to bring greater employment to the youth of Kashmir.

People in Kashmir's Shopian, Pulwama, Handwara, and Baramullah region will now be treated with First day First shows, Kids Cinema and more from February 2025. Citara, a film distribution company has announced to bring cinema to the masses by taking over the operations of the four screens in South Kashmir and North Kashmir with 'Golden Era' Film Festival.

With screens, reels cafe, reels point and more, the company plans to bring greater employment to the youth of Kashmir. The initiative is also poised to expand the presence in Udhampur, Kishtwar, Doda, Bhadarwah, Pahalgam, and Anantnag by the end of this year.

Rumi Jaffrey, noted film writer and director said, "Kashmir has been the dream of every story writer and director and Citara with it's initiative will bring the joys of the big screen to the Kashmir Valley."

Further details on the line of films and activities are awaited.

The First Day First Show initiative comes after the new film policy was unveiled in August 2024 by Jammu and Kashmir Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha. Along with the policy a single-window portal for film shooting permissions and subsidy were also announced. He also launched the 'Frames of Transformation Photography' competition during the J&K Film Conclave.

In 1990 about 12 cinema halls were shut down by the militants in Kashmir region. Thereafter, in the late 90s one cinema called Regal was opened, however, on the first day of its operation a grenade attack forced the authorities to shut the plans of cinema. In September 2022, cinema finally opened for general people. Kashmir currently only has one multiplex cinema: INOX Multiplex Cinemas in Sonwar Srinagar.