Kathmandu, February 11
The proposal to endorse the bill was presented at Wednesday’s National Assembly meeting by Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizens Shraddha Shrestha on behalf of Prime Minister Sushila Karki. The bill was passed unanimously by the House. It was originally introduced by then Minister for Communications and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung.
The bill was registered in the National Assembly on April 27, 2025 (Baisakh 14, 2082 BS) and tabled in the House on May 19, 2025 (Jestha 6, 2082 BS). A general discussion was held on June 23, 2025 (Asar 9, 2082 BS), after which it was sent to the Legislation Management Committee on July 29, 2025 (Shrawan 14, 2082 BS) for clause-wise deliberation.
Following endorsement by the committee and its submission to the House, the bill was passed by the National Assembly.
The government believes that once the bill is converted into an Act, it will help develop the film sector as a social, cultural, and entertainment industry. The bill aims to promote Nepal as a tourism destination through films, introduce a film screening system before the exhibition of domestic and foreign films, and support the development, expansion, promotion, and regulation of the domestic film industry.
Once enacted, the bill will revise the Film Act of 1969 (2026 BS) in line with contemporary needs and implement new film-related policies reflecting inclusivity, a federal structure, and emerging technologies.
However, several procedures remain before the bill becomes law. It will now be forwarded to the new House of Representatives. After passage there, it will return to the National Assembly and then be sent to the President through the Chairperson of the National Assembly. The bill will come into force as an Act only after presidential authentication.
