Srinagar, Sep 19: Kashmiri feature film The Sledge, written and directed by National Award Winning Filmmaker, Raja Shabir Khan, has been officially selected for the International Competition of the 31st SCHLiNGEL International Film Festival for Children and Young Audiences, to be held in Chemnitz, Germany, from 2 to 10 October 2026.
The film will have its World Premiere at the prestigious international festival, marking an important milestone for Kashmiri cinema and for the filmmakers and young actors involved in the project.
Set against the snow-covered landscape of Kashmir, The Sledge is a 75-minute Kashmiri-language feature film that follows three children who accidentally break their father’s sledge. Afraid of being punished, they decide to earn the money needed to repair it by selling kahwa to tourists in Gulmarg. Their simple plan takes an unexpected turn when they discover a tourist’s bag containing money and chocolates.
Faced with a choice between using the money to solve their problem or returning it to its owner, the children are forced to confront questions of honesty, temptation, responsibility and doing the right thing.
The film features Haziq Mohammad Khan, Eashel Khan and Raima Khan in the lead roles. The film has been produced and directed by Raja Shabir Khan, with Ramayasa Khan serving as Executive Producer.
Speaking about the selection, director Raja Shabir Khan said, “It is a great honour for The Sledge to have its World Premiere in the International Competition at SCHLiNGEL. The film is deeply rooted in Kashmir, its landscape and its people, but the emotions and choices faced by the children are universal. I am particularly happy that the film is reaching an international audience through a festival dedicated to children and young audiences.”
The SCHLiNGEL International Film Festival is an established international festival dedicated to films for children and young audiences. Its International Competition brings together films from different parts of the world and provides a platform for young audiences to engage with diverse cinematic stories and cultures.
The selection of The Sledge places a Kashmiri-language children’s feature film from Kashmir in an international competitive festival programme, giving the film an opportunity to reach audiences and film professionals beyond the region.
The film’s World Premiere will also mark the international festival debut of its young cast, who will have the opportunity to represent their film and Kashmir on an international platform.
The Sledge is presented in Kashmiri with English subtitles.
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