India, Sept. 10 -- Renowned filmmaker Imtiaz Ali has called for greater support for local storytelling and film education in Kashmir, saying the region has stories rooted in its culture and experiences that deserve to be told by its own filmmakers.

Speaking at a press conference in Srinagar, Ali said cinema could help audiences understand cultures and places they had never personally experienced.

"We never went to Iran, but seeing Iranian cinema, gave us an idea of their culture. America also, when we were growing up, we had not gone there, but through Hollywood we saw it. The same goes for European cinema also," he said.

"Cinema is a window into another world," Ali added.

He said aspiring filmmakers in Kashmir needed opportunities to...