Kathmandu, May 29
While Jeremy Power Regembal’s ‘Between the Mountain and the Sky’, documentary film featuring CNN Hero Maggie Doyne is seeing its theatrical release in the United States, Nepal got its premiere of Jeremy’s film at the opening ceremony of the Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival (Kimff) on Wednesday. The 22nd edition of Kimff has kick started and has officially opened its door for the audiences.
Bringing a range of over 65 films from 30 countries from across the globe, offering audiences a rich cinematic experience that spans cultures, geographies, and stories. The five-day festival will run through Sunday, June 1, across three venues in Thamel: QFX Chhaya Center, Astrek Hall, and GAA Hall.
“We hope to bring and bridge cultures through the medium of films,” said Ramyata Limbu, Festival Chair, in her welcome address.
Dinesh DC, Executive Chairperson of the Film Development Board (FDB), reaffirmed the FDB’s commitment to supporting KIMFF, emphasizing cinema’s unique power to foster cultural exchange.
Renowned actor Manisha Koirala also graced the ceremony, highlighting the importance of film festivals in providing a platform for emerging filmmakers.
The ceremony commenced with a ceremonial gong strike by the members of the festival jury, marking the official opening of the event.
Prior to the opening, a live pitching session featured nine South Asian documentary projects, incubated under the Kathmandu Doc Lab. The jury, comprised of Nepali filmmaker and entrepreneur Bhaskar Dhungana, Lucie de Barrosof Alliance Française Kathmandu, Smriti Basnet, Executive Director of Katha Haru, and award-winning filmmaker Tin Dirdamal, will select the top three projects.
Mentors for the Doc Lab — Canadian filmmaker Anam Abbas , Bhutanese director Arun Bhattarai (Bhutan), and Indian filmmaker Rintu Thomas — will also contribute to the evaluation and selection process.
This year, marking the 70 years of Nepal-China friendship, kimff has a special section of Xizang Panorama that will screen films from Tibet region of China that reflect similarities between the two countries despite differences in language and culture.
