Xie Fei, a Chinese director and professor who has won two awards at the Berlin International Film Festival, has been added as the primary judge for the Nepal International Film Festival (NIFF) feature film competition. In addition to his role as a judge, Xie Fei will also be teaching film writing and directing, according to KP Pathak, the festival chairman.
It was announced by President Pathak that “Song of Tibet,” his most recent film, will also be screened during the festival. Beijing Film Academy graduate Fei directed “Black Snow,” which took home Berlin’s Silver Line, the city’s second major award, in 1990. Two years later, Fei directed “Woman Sesame Oil Maker,” which took home the Golden Bear, Berlin’s main prize, in 1993.
He is now over 80 years old and has not directed a picture in 24 years. Xie Fei has been teaching continuously since 1980 and is also a former vice president of the Beijing Film Academy. There are rumors that he will visit Nepal for NIFF at the end of Falgun. Pradeep Khadka, an actor, is also on the feature film’s jury. From the first of Chaitra to the fifth, Kathmandu will host the festival.
In this edition of NIFF, 88 features, shorts and documentaries from 40 countries will be screened. It is said that along with the screening of the films in competition, there will be workshops, discussions and interactions in various genres of film production during the festival. Films selected for the festival will be shown under QFX in the halls of Civil Mall, Labim Mall, Bhaktapur and Chayaan Center.
