The first Kathmandu Film Festival, launched by the city government, runs 30 October to 1 November and mixes international cinema, Nepali shorts and restored classics, Variety reports.
The first Kathmandu Film Festival (KFF) opens on 30 October and runs until 1 November, according to a report by Variety. Launched by Kathmandu Metropolitan City, the three-day event will screen 40 films from 14 countries. Among the announced guests are the veteran Indian actor Shabana Azmi and the film critic and historian Marco Müller, with filmmakers and artists from around Asia also expected to attend. Kathmandu holds UNESCO Creative City of Film status, and the report says the city created the festival to showcase Nepali and international independent cinema and to build cultural ties.
The programme is divided into several strands: the International Panorama, Nepal Panorama Shorts, a selection of restored Nepali features and open-air screenings. Among the international titles named are Marine Atlan's Cannes premiere "La Gradiva" and Shahrbanoo Sadat's "No Good Men", which debuted in Berlin this year. A retrospective of restored films from the 1970s and 1980s includes "Kumari", credited as Nepal's first colour feature, while a separate shorts programme focuses on Yamagata, Japan, which holds the same UNESCO designation. Organisers linked that showcase to the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Nepal and Japan.
Screenings and events are spread across venues including Basantapur, City Hall, the Nepal Tourism Board, Jai Nepal Cinema and Taragaon, alongside a heritage walk, master classes and conversations with filmmakers. Prizes are due in the youth video challenge and Nepal panorama sections. Screenings are free, though some events require advance booking. Artistic director Ramyata Limbu described the international panorama as a curated showcase of contemporary independent cinema, and acting mayor Sunita Dangol, referring to recent floods in Nepal, said stories can help people make sense of what they have experienced. The details here come from a single publisher's report and the organisers' own statements, so programme changes remain possible.
