Kathmandu – The 8th Nepal International Film Festival (NIFF) commenced on Thursday. With the theme “A Celebration of Stories from Around the World”, the festival was inaugurated by the Chairperson of the National Assembly, Narayan Prasad Dahal.
During the event, Dahal expressed his best wishes for the success of NIFF, emphasizing that showcasing so many films simultaneously in Nepal is a positive aspect. He stated that attracting both national and international audiences is crucial for competing in the global film market.
Bagmati Province Registrar Revati Sapkota mentioned that the province is exploring significant opportunities in the Nepali film industry. As part of the festival, three Russian films will be screened on the upcoming Film Day, scheduled for Saturday. This year, NIFF has introduced three Audience Choice Awards and an AI Award. Voting for the Audience Choice Award will be open via the Khalti app from March 20 to March 24 at 4 PM.
On the festival’s opening day, the film “Shambhala”, directed by Min Bahadur Bham, was screened. This year, 87 films from 40 countries have been selected for the festival.
In the international competition category, the Best Feature Film will receive the Gautam Buddha Award along with a cash prize of $1,500. The Best International Documentary will be honored with the Mount Everest Award and $1,000, while the Best International Short Film will receive the Bagmati Award and $500.
Additionally, the Best AI Film will be awarded the Manjushree Award with a cash prize of $500. In the Nepali competition category, the Best Feature Film will receive NPR 100,000 and a trophy, while the Best Short Film and Best Documentary will each receive NPR 50,000 and a trophy.
