KIMFF starting from December 11

KATHMANDU: With more than 60 intriguing films from 28 countries, the 19th Kathmandu International Film Festival (KIMFF) will start from December 11 and will continue till December 13.

The movies under various categories will be screened at the Film Development Board’s auditorium in Chabahil.

KIMFF seeks to prompt audiences to think about how we engage with the environment and what we can do to reduce the adverse effects of climate change that we are experiencing locally and globally – under the festival tagline ‘’Climate Karma”.

“We hope the festival through its line-up of films and events will entertain audiences and engage them in conversations around issues that affect the Nepali public with a special spotlight on the environment and climate change,” KIMFF Chairman Basanta Thapa said in a statement issued on Sunday.

This year KIMFF and the European Union will present ‘’Green Growth- Green Recovery’ a short film competition for Nepali filmmakers; KIMFF and Save the Children will present a Tik Tok Challenge on a call to action for the environment while KIMFF’s Nepal Panorama will once again showcase exciting films by local talent, the statement read.

Journalist and climber Mario Casella from Switzerland, journalist and filmmaker Caroline Fink from Switzerland and Nepali theatre artiste and director Anup Baral are the jury for the KIMFF 2021.

The jury will decide the top three films in the international competition (40 films shortlisted) and the top documentary film and fiction film in the Nepal Panorama selection (13 films shortlisted).

The top three films will receive cash award of Rs 200,000, Rs 150,000 and Rs 100,000 for the international competition sponsored by Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), Himalaya International Mountain Film of China (HIMF) and Fredi-Ursula Wohlwend respectively.

In Nepal Panorama, the Nepal Film Development Board will sponsor a cash prize of Rs 75,000 for Best Documentary and Mila Productions will sponsor a cash prize of Rs 100,000 for the Tsekye Sherpa Award for Best Fiction Award.

The Best Mountain Film Award at KIMFF (USD 1000) is sponsored by ICIMOD.

KIMFF 2021 is organised by Himal Association in coordination with KMC and is promoted by NTB.

It is sponsored by Delegation for the European Union to Nepal and the Swiss Embassy and is supported by WWF Nepal, FDB, NMA, HIMF, GIZ Nepal, MHMPA, Dignity Without Danger, British Council, Sustainable Summit, Save the Children, Mila Production, Fredi-Ursula Wohlwend, Toni Hagen Foundation Switzerland, and ICIMOD.