FDB signs agreements with ethnic film organisations

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Feb. 21: Film Development Board (FDB) has signed agreements with various ethnic film-related organisations on the recommendation of its Adivasi Janajati Tatha Matribhasi Chalachitra Prabardhan Samiti.

Based on the committee’s recommendation, the Board has approved a total budget of Rs. 4.195 million to conduct various trainings, workshops and festivals aimed at the preservation, promotion and technical capacity enhancement of mother tongue and indigenous films.

Under the agreement, programmes such as directing training, cinematography training, scriptwriting and directing workshops, acting and shooting training, cultural preservation training, and Indigenous Nationalities Film Festivals will be conducted. The Board informed that these programmes will target filmmakers active within various ethnic communities across the country.

Chairperson of the Film Development Board, Dinesh DC said that the decision as an important step towards inclusive film development, stating “Nepal is a multilingual and multicultural country. Our film sector must also embrace that diversity. Promoting indigenous and mother tongue films is not merely a cultural responsibility, it is the preservation of our national identity. The Board has always remained committed to building an inclusive and empowered film industry.”

According to the Board, this initiative is expected to support the documentation of original stories rooted in local languages, cultures and communities, as well as to professionally empower the new generation of filmmakers.

Various ethnic organisations active in the film sector have welcomed the Board’s decision positively and expressed confidence that it will provide further momentum to the production of mother tongue films.