Shabana Azmi, Marco Müller Join Kathmandu Film Festival

A public program with an international reach

The inaugural Kathmandu Film Festival (KFF) runs Oct. 30–Nov. 1 in Nepal, with 40 films from 14 countries in its program. Veteran Indian actor Shabana Azmi and film critic and historian Marco Müller are among the guests, KFF says.

Kathmandu Metropolitan City launched the three-day event to showcase Nepali and international independent cinema and build cultural ties. KFF describes the host city as a UNESCO Creative City of Film and says filmmakers and artists from around Asia are due to attend the festival.

KFF divides the offering into several strands:

• International Panorama
• Nepal Panorama Shorts
• Restored Nepali features from the 1970s and 1980s
• Open-air screenings

Films selected for the international slate

Marine Atlan’s La Gradiva, which premiered at Cannes, and Shahrbanoo Sadat’s No Good Men, which debuted in Berlin this year, sit among KFF’s international selections.

“The international panorama is a curated showcase of global, contemporary and independent cinema that represents powerful stories, unique voices and distinct cultural perspectives,” said Ramyata Limbu, KFF’s artistic director. “The Nepal panorama shorts feature diverse and compelling stories about Nepal by emerging local talent.”

Restoring Nepali film history

KFF presents a retrospective of restored Nepali features from the 1970s and 1980s, including Kumari, which the festival credits as Nepal’s first color feature.

KFF’s separate shorts program focuses on Yamagata, Japan, which holds the same UNESCO film designation as Kathmandu. According to KFF, organizers tied the showcase to the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Nepal and Japan and said it is meant to deepen links between the two cities.

What does this change for festivalgoers?

For festivalgoers, the inaugural edition brings free screenings spanning international independent cinema, restored Nepali features and filmmaker talks, although some other events require advance booking.

KFF lists Basantapur, City Hall, the Nepal Tourism Board, Jai Nepal Cinema and Taragaon among the festival venues. KFF’s program also includes a heritage walk, master classes and conversations with filmmakers. Prizes will be handed out in the youth video challenge and Nepal panorama sections.

Kathmandu through its stories

KFF presents the event as a festival for the general public, linking Kathmandu’s heritage with present-day cinema and the global film community. In Dangol’s account, Kathmandu’s identity rests on both indigenous heritage and the accumulated cultural contributions of communities from every corner of Nepal over successive generations.

“Kathmandu is not just the city of its indigenous communities, whose culture and heritage are at its heart. It is also a city shaped by people from every corner of Nepal,”

said Sunita Dangol, Kathmandu’s acting mayor. “Over generations, communities from across the country have brought their traditions, languages, art, music and stories to Kathmandu. That coming together is what makes this city so vibrant and unique.”

Dangol linked the festival’s purpose to the recent floods:

“Nepal has been through a profound tragedy with the floods, and in moments like these, stories become even more important,” Dangol said. “They help us make sense of what we have experienced, connect with one another, heal and find the courage to move forward.”

The first edition faces a practical test: whether 40 films and free screenings can turn Kathmandu Metropolitan City’s stated goal of cultural ties into working links among Nepali filmmakers, visiting artists and audiences.