NIFF concludes awarding Surakshya as best actress

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Mar. 20: The 7th Nepal International Film Festival (NIFF) concluded on Monday by awarding actress Surakshya Panta as the best actress and actor Bipin Karki as the best actor.

Speaking as the chief guest at the closing ceremony of the Festival, Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, Hit Bahadur Tamang highlighted cinema’s potent role in social transformation, citing its impact on global changes.

Minister Tamang, however, said that the positive aspects of the “People’s War’ have not been adequately highlighted in Nepali movies. He emphasised the need to explore the beauty of the ‘war’ and its components.

Minister Tamang suggested that films depicting resistance against authoritarian regimes, like ‘Balidaan’ and ‘Aago’, not only reflect specific segments of Nepali society but also inspire dissent against the entire system. 

Minister Tamang affirmed his commitment to promoting such cinema through his ministry and pledged to support it with concrete plans.

 He also credited NIFF for its contribution to tourism promotion in Nepal.

Meanwhile, India’s ‘Wild Swans’ received the Gautam Buddha Feature Film Award, selected from the World Panorama category.

 Other notable winners included ‘Love Lights’, which was awarded the ‘Mt. Everest Award’ for international documentary, and ‘I Promise You Paradise’, which won the Bagmati Award for Best International Short Film. 

Special mentions were given to ‘The Trekker’, ‘The Wolf’, and ‘The Monkey King’ from China while ‘Lazarus Path’ received the Don Quixote Award under the Best International Award.

In the national category, ‘Bulaki’ was recognised as the Best National Feature Film with Laxman Sunar winning Best Director and Surakshya Panta receiving Best Actress.

 ‘Arkesta’ directed by Safal Pandey won the National Short Film and Documentary Audience Choice Award while ‘Pakheta’ secured the Audience Choice Award for Feature Film.

Individual accolades went to Rajesh Shrestha and Sankalp Bhujel for Best Cinematography in ‘Ek Bhagawad Ek Gita’, and Bipin Karki for Best Actor in the same film. The award for Best Screenplay from a feature film went to ‘Desan’.

The five-day festival began March 14.

The film festival began with the screening of ‘Ani Choying Drolma: Nothing Impossible’, a biographical film based on the life of a nun turned popular singer. This year, the festival featured 88 films from 40 countries.

The Nepal International Film Festival, chaired by KP Pathak, is held annually under the slogan ‘Celebration of World Stories, Nepal International Film Festival’.