Nepal enjoys notable presence at Cannes: Dangol

Kathmandu, May 24: Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) Acting Mayor Sunita Dangol said that Nepal’s presence at this year’s Cannes Film Festival had reached a level that Nepali people can take pride in.

Speaking to journalists upon her return at Tribhuvan International Airport on Saturday after attending the festival, she said that the Nepali film Elephant in the Fog (Tiniharu), directed by Avinash Bikram Shah, receiving the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard category, had further elevated the stature of Nepali cinema, creative industries, and the arts sector.

“It was a moment of pride to watch the world premiere of a Nepali film seated with the artists. The film received a standing ovation lasting seven minutes, and all the viewers were emotional,” she said while recalling the premiere. “For Nepali cinema, this is the first such achievement in the history of the festival. It is as significant and historic as winning a World Cup for football fans. We would like to express our gratitude to all the artists, as well as everyone behind the scenes, who contributed tirelessly to achieve this milestone.”

Speaking about international collaboration, she said, “Taking the film festival organised by KMC to an international platform through Cannes, and initiating dialogue on mutual relations, learning, and exchange of technical expertise between cities in the film sector, is a positive development for all of us. We aim to utilise international knowledge, skills, and experience to ensure balanced development of sectors related to the creative industry through film festivals.”

Dangol, who travelled to France last Sunday at the invitation of Cannes Mayor David Lisnard, also extended an invitation for him to attend the Kathmandu Film Festival.

During the visit, she observed film production-related technologies and technical sites at the festival and held exchanges with city leaders and officials from the creative industry on mutual learning, experiences, and practices.

Discussions also focused on the potential of transforming film into broader creative industries such as music, literature, fashion, food, art, style, and craftsmanship. Topics such as linking local and international film industries with local communities, as well as participation from educational institutions and professionals for skill exchange, were also included in the meetings and discussions.

Both Cannes and Kathmandu are member cities of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network in the field of film.