23rd edition of KIMFF underway

By A Staff Reporter, Kathmandu, May 29: The 23rd edition of Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival (KIMFF) kicked off on Wednesday with the Nepal premiere of Tribeny Rai’s debut film ‘Shape of Momo.’

The five-day festival was opened by Khadak Raj Paudel, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation. The minister spoke about the importance of storytelling in cinema and celebrating unique personal stories as part of culture.

This year, KIMFF is showing more than 50 films from 29 countries, including fiction, documentaries, short films, and adventure films. The festival is being held at QFX Chhaya Centre in Thamel until 31 May.

Director Abinash Bikram Shah, known for ‘Elephants in the Fog,’ also spoke at the event. He shared how his journey began at KIMFF many years ago and stressed the importance of understanding the meaning behind one’s work. Before the opening ceremony, a live pitching session was held featuring nine South Asian documentary projects from the Kathmandu Doc Lab. These projects were developed during a five-day training programme with mentors from Pakistan-Canada, Bhutan, and India.

The international jury is led by Deepti DCunha (India), Chalida Uabumrungjit (Thailand), Kumar Nagarkoti (Nepal), and Luca Bich (Italy). The Nepal Panorama jury includes Lucie De Barros (France), Nabin Chauhan (Nepal), and Reena Moktan (Nepal).

To mark 70 years of Nepal–Switzerland relations, KIMFF will host a discussion on Nepali cinema and Swiss film partnerships, featuring award-winning Nepali filmmakers who have worked with Swiss film labs and festivals. The festival will also screen Climbing for Life by Japanese director Sakamoto Junji, which tells the story of Junko Tabei, the first woman to climb Mount Everest. This screening celebrates 70 years of diplomatic relations between Nepal and Japan.