NIFF kicks off

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Apr. 3: The 9th edition of the Nepal International Film Festival (NIFF) began in Kathmandu on Thursday.

The festival, being held at the QFX cinema hall in Civil Mall, Sundhara, was inaugurated by the Government of Nepal’s Communications Secretary, Laxmi Kumari Basnet.

The event opened with the screening of the Iranian film My Daughter’s Hair, directed by Hisham Farahmand.

Organised by the Nepal Film and Cultural Academy (NFCA), the festival will run until April 6.

At the opening session, there was a strong presence of domestic and international filmmakers, including Bollywood director Ramesh Sippy. During the festival, both Nepali and foreign films will be screened.

The organisers believe that the festival will grow into a major film celebration at both national and international levels.

On the second day of NIFF, a dialogue programme titled Cinema Dialogue: With Ramesh Sippy and Rajesh Hamal is scheduled to be held at the Tourism Board. The session will feature a conversation between director Sippy and actor Rajesh Hamal, focusing on their personal experiences, cinematic journeys, and the future of film.

The festival will also include a five-day AI film workshop aimed at young filmmakers. In addition, a Feature Pitch programme has been arranged to connect writers directly with producers, allowing them to present their story ideas.

This edition will feature 88 films from 40 countries competing in the festival. Additionally, six Chinese and four Russian films will be screened outside the competition.