Srinagar, Sept. 8 -- The International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir began on Monday with a musical evening amid the presence of a grand audience. Chief minister Omar Abdullah, filmmakers and officials inaugurated the four-day function by lighting the ceremonial lamp. Hundreds of people - filmmakers and critics, actors, artists and youth - from across India and many countries of the globe, gathered at the sprawling lawns of Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre on the inauguration. Prominent Bollywood filmmakers Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Ramesh Sippy were among the audience while Bollywood actors Sana Fatima Sheikh and Taha Shah anchored the inaugural function. Omar earlier said that the film festival will give J&K exposure to world cinema. "There are two or three aims (for organising the festival. The first is to give exposure to films from all over the world. To give exposure to the students of Mass Communication. This is going to give exposure to our local film industry. At the same time we are trying to remind the film industry about J&K, " he said. Omar said that before Switzerland and other countries, films were made in Kashmir. "We would like that to start again." Aimed at putting the Himalayan region back into the imagination of international filmmakers and promoting the union territory as a premier filmmaking destination, the festival, themed "Rang-e-Cinema" (colours of cinema), will feature the screening of 135 films, including short films and documentaries, bringing together filmmakers, cinema lovers, artists and storytellers from over 40 countries. Organised by J&K's information department, the films will be screened at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) and INOX in Srinagar, and at the Wave complex in Jammu. The famous ski resort of Gulmarg will also be among the venues. The jury includes prominent film and documentary producers from India, Japan and Germany including Santosh Sivan, Dorothee Wenner, Keiko Bang, Sriram Raghavan and Himansu Sekhar Khatua. Vidhu Vinod Chopra said that this was a great opportunity for the youth of Jammu and Kashmir to nurture and show their talent. "This is an opportunity. So many filmmakers have come here. So many films will be shown here. This is an opportunity for Kashmiri students and film to interact," he said. Sana Fatima Sheikh, Dangal film actor, said that the festival will promote the place and its people. "The filmmakers will come to know about the place and its beauty. They will come to know about its people and what can be done ( from a filmmaking point of view), " she said. Earlier during the day, the inaugural film, about two estranged partners named 'Dead Dog' and 'Made in Lebanon', was screened at INOX theatre in Srinagar and was watched by a number of filmmakers, critics and officials. Chief secretary Atal Dulloo was part of the first screening function and. "The first-ever international film festival of Jammu and Kashmir is starting today. It will be a four-day festival," he said. He said that they received an overwhelming response while inviting entries for the festival. "There were responses from many countries and more than 1,100 entries were received. As many as 135 films were shortlisted which will be screened during the four day festival," he said. He said a good number of films were internationally made. "More than 60 films are foreign films," he said....