KATHMANDU: The eighth edition of the Nepal International Film Festival (NIFF) will be held in Kathmandu from tomorrow (March 20) to March 24.
Organized by the Nepal Film and Cultural Foundation, the festival has selected 87 films from 40 countries, as informed by festival chairman KP Pathak.
Held under the slogan “A Celebration of Stories from Around the World: Nepal International Film Festival,” the event will feature film screenings, workshops, interactions, and other programs, said chairman Pathak.
“We have prepared to make this edition grander than the previous ones. We have carefully selected films from the submissions to attract film enthusiasts. We are confident that this festival will serve as a platform for filmmakers from around the world to meet, discuss, and exchange ideas,” he added.
Pathak also announced that a special ‘Russian Film Day’ will be held on the third day of the festival, Saturday, where three Russian films will be screened.
The festival is categorized into two sections: national and international. Awards will be presented in the feature film, short film, and documentary categories.
In the ‘National Panorama’ competition for Nepali feature films, the selected films include Crawling Crows directed by John Yonjan, Pujaar Sarki directed by Dinesh Raut, Sano Sansar directed by Siddharth Pudasaini, and Sati Devi directed by Laxman Subedi.
The Nepali documentary competition will feature Devi by Subina Shrestha, Chhesang by Rajila Shrestha, Mukti by Gaurav Iyer, No Monastery No Village by Tashi Lajom, Udne Sapana by Deepa Shrestha, and Girls Rewriting Destiny by Love Pyakurel.
Additionally, starting from this edition, a new competition category for films made using or related to AI technology has been introduced, as informed by festival director Pathak.
The newly introduced ‘AI Films’ category includes Every Hesitation of Yours Can Destroy the World from China, The Abyss from Argentina, Gold Casting from France, The Dream, the Fog and the Rain from Peru, and Mob Part 1 from the USA.
The best film in the international competition will receive the ‘Gautam Buddha Award’, along with a cash prize of US$1,500.
Additionally, one film from the national and international categories will be honored with the ‘Don Quixote Award’, presented by the International Federation of Cinematographers.
The best film in the Nepali competition will be awarded Rs.100,000 and a trophy, while the best short film and best documentary will each receive Rs.50,000 and a trophy.
For international awards, the best documentary will be honored with the ‘Mount Everest Award’, carrying a cash prize of US$1,000, while the best short film will receive the ‘Bagmati Award’ worth US$500.
Additionally, the best AI-generated film will receive the ‘Manjushree Award’, with a cash prize of US$500, as announced by the organizers.
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