Nepal International Film Festival: 88 Films from 40 Countries, New ‘Audience Choice Award

January 16, Kathmandu. In the seventh edition of the Nepal International Film Festival (NIFF), organized by the Nepal Film and Cultural Foundation, which is scheduled to be held in Kathmandu from the 1st to the 5th of Chait, 88 films from 40 countries have been selected, as announced in a press conference held on Tuesday. The president of the foundation, KP Pathak, mentioned that more than 500 films from 60 countries were submitted for consideration, and from these, only 88 films from 40 countries were chosen. Notably, these selected films have been previously showcased at renowned film festivals such as Cannes, Locarno, and Berlin.

Neer Shah, an advisor to the foundation and actor, expressed pleasure in including films from prestigious festivals, while Bhuvan KC, Chairman of the Film Development Board, raised concerns about the board’s limitations in fulfilling its expected duties due to the absence of concrete policies and rules related to films.

KP Pathak, serving as the chairman of both the foundation and the festival, disclosed that the festival would have two segments, national and international, with awards presented in categories such as feature films, short films, and documentaries in both segments. This year, the selected films will be screened in various venues, including Civil Mall, Labim Mall, Bhaktapur, and Chhaya Center, under the QFX chain, according to the organizers.

President Pathak also shared plans to expand the festival to other provinces simultaneously, incorporating screenings of festival winners and audience-interest films in the provincial events. Additionally, he outlined the awards to be presented at the festival, such as the “Gautam Buddha Award” for the best feature film, the “IFFS Don Quixote Award” for outstanding national and international feature films, the “Mount Everest Award” for the best documentary, and the “Bagamati Award” for the best short film.

In the Nepali competition, cash prizes and trophies will be awarded for various categories, including the best feature film, best short film, best documentary, and best director. President Pathak revealed a new addition, the ‘Audience Choice Award,’ based on votes received from online voting and surveys across the country, aiming to collect data on audience interests, habits, and suggestions.