The seventh edition of the Nepal International Film Festival started in Kathmandu on Thursday. The festival was inaugurated in the presence of national and international filmmakers at QFX, Civil Mall, Sundhara.
Speaking at the event, Minister of Information, Communication and Technology Rekha Sharma, who was present as the chief guest, said that the film sector will be addressed in the upcoming budget. Minister Sharma instructed the Film Development Board to submit the plan, stating that the plans required for the development, promotion, and social transformation of Nepali films could be included in the budget.
Stating that the homework to bring the new film act has reached its final stage, Minister Sharma said that the draft of the bill will be posted on the website of the ministry soon for discussion. According to Minister Sharma, the bill will only be made based on recommendations from filmmakers. Minister Sharma has said that the film workers will be included when there is opposition, and the Ministry has singled out the new procedure of the Censor Board.
Reacting to the filmmakers’ protest and discontent, she stated, “Instead of approaching it from a support or opposition standpoint, we should consider how to make it creative.” She believed that Nepal should be developed as a filming location because it is a significant location.
Actor and director Neer Shah stated that the two primary responsibilities in Nepali cinema today are market expansion and financial management. Shah expressed his rage at the mainstream films of today, saying that while these directors had long complained about the government not supporting them, they were also not involved in the creation or global distribution of the movie. He argued that filmmakers should change their opinion about the film.
According to Xie Fei, a Chinese filmmaker and professor who also serves as the festival’s head jury, Nepali films have been doing well lately. Fei will be teaching a master class on writing and directing at NIFF. He has twice won awards at the Berlin Film Festival.
The opening film of the festival was the 96-minute-long film ‘Ani Bond: Choying Drolma’, jointly directed by Hong Kong directors Jennifer Lin and Shan Bai. This film presents the story of Nepali singer Ani Choying Drolma’s life journey as a Buddhist nun, musician, and rights activist through ups and downs.
Kamal Eckhai Magar’s 128-minute-long film ‘Desaan’ is also being screened on Thursday. Japanese director Yu Kyohara’s film ‘Remembering Every Night’ was also screened.
The festival will be organized for five days in different halls of QFX in Kathmandu with the slogan ‘Celebration of stories from around the world’. Various discussion sessions are also organized during the festival. This year’s edition will feature 88 films, short films and documentaries from 40 countries.
