Kathmandu Launches First Film Festival With Azmi, Müller — SkimNews
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- Kathmandu Metropolitan City launched the inaugural Kathmandu Film Festival (KFF) from Oct. 30 to Nov. 1, screening 40 films from 14 countries across multiple programs including international and Nepali shorts.
- Shabana Azmi and Marco Müller are featured guests at KFF, joining filmmakers and artists from across Asia for the three-day event in Nepal’s capital.
- KFF’s artistic director Ramyata Limbu described the International Panorama as a curated showcase of contemporary independent cinema highlighting powerful stories and diverse cultural perspectives.
- Organizers included a retrospective of restored 1970s and 1980s Nepali films, such as the country’s first color feature, Kumari, to honor Nepal’s cinematic history.
- Yamagata, Japan—a UNESCO Creative City of Film like Kathmandu—is the focus of a dedicated shorts program, timed to mark the 70th anniversary of Nepal-Japan diplomatic relations.
- Kathmandu’s acting mayor Sunita Dangol emphasized the festival’s role in public healing, stating stories help people make sense of trauma, connect, and recover following recent floods.
Why it matters: The festival establishes Kathmandu as a cultural hub for South Asian cinema, leveraging its UNESCO designation and diplomatic ties—particularly with Japan—to boost local talent and public morale after natural disasters, with free access ensuring broad community reach.
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