KIMFF to kick off May 27 with over 50 films from 29 countries

Kathmandu, May 19 

The 23^rd edition of the Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival (KIMFF) will kick off from  May 27-31 at QFX Chhaya Centre in Thamel, Kathmandu. The festival will screen over  50 films from 29 countries.

“We hope the line-up of films and events will entertain audiences and engage them in critical conversations in and around issues that affect the Nepali public,” says festival director Ramyata Limbu.  

The festival will open with the Nepal Premiere of Shape of Momo, an award-winning film by Tribeny Rai (India). The film follows Bishnu, a woman who quits her job in the city and returns to her Himalayan hometown, where she must choose between conforming to tradition or claiming her independence.  

KIMFF brings internationally acclaimed films – fiction, documentary, shorts, adventure cinema to Nepali cinephiles, filmmakers, and the general public. The Nepal Panorama section features films by local talent that spotlight stories about contemporary Nepal. 

KIMFF will celebrate 70 years of bilateral relations between Nepal and Switzerland by organising ‘Alpine Alliances: New Wave of Nepali Cinema (Navigating World Cinema and audiences through Swiss partnerships)’ – a conversation with award-winning Nepali filmmakers at prominent Swiss film labs and festivals.

The festival will also feature a panel discussion, ‘What’s In a Story – Cinema and Censorship’.

To mark the 70^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Nepal, the festival will feature a special screening of Climbing for Life by acclaimed Japanese director Sakamoto Junji. The feature film is about the life of Junko Tabei, the first woman to climb Everest.  

On May 18, KIMFF, as part of the festival, organised a curtain raiser event at the Nepal Tourism Board, which featured a panel discussion entitled “Redefining Women’s Stories in Contemporary Cinema.” The speakers were actor duo Miruna Magar and Pashupati Rai and costume designer Janaki Kadayat. The discussion was moderated by journalist and film critic Prasun Sangroula. 

KIMFF 2026 international jury comprises Jury Head Deepti DCunha (international film programmer, India), Chalida Uabumrungjit (Director of the Film Archive, Thailand), Kumar Nagarkoti (writer and poet, Nepal), Luca Bich (Director of Cervino CineMountain Festival, Italy). They will decide the Best Film for feature fiction (5 shortlisted), feature documentary (11 shortlisted), short fiction (7 shortlisted) and short documentary (10 shortlisted). 

The Nepal Panorama jury are Cultural & Communication Coordinator at Alliance Francaise Kathmandu, Lucie De Barros (France), filmmaker Nabin Chauhan (Nepal), and film journalist and critic Reena Moktan (Nepal) will decide the best documentary (5 shortlisted) and best fiction (9 shortlisted).

KIMFF 2026 awards in the international category are $1500 best feature documentary, $1000 best short documentary, $1500 best feature fiction, $1000 best short fiction. The best documentary and best fiction film in Nepal Panorama will receive Rs. 100,000 each, respectively. The Kimff Audience Award is Rs.100,000.  

KIMFF will host the 2nd edition of Kathmandu DocLab this year. Dedicated to fostering talent from South Asia, filmmakers Anam Abbas (Pakistan-Canada), Arun Bhattarai (Bhutan) and Sarvnik Kaur (India) will mentor eight South Asian projects that will culminate in a live pitching event during the festival. 

KIMFF, in partnership with Chalachitra Lab, will host a short fiction lab and script pitching forum for six Nepali projects to address the critical need for a professional marketplace where fiction filmmakers can secure investments and mentorship. 

KIMFF champions young filmmakers and will feature Asha: Dreams In Motion, a screening and panel that captures the aspirations of young people across Nepal, presented by EU and UNICEF. It will also feature Her Climate Story, a screening and panel discussion by Yuwa and Plan International. 

Tickets are Rs. 150 for the general public and Rs. 100 for students.

KIMFF 2026 is supported by Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC), Film Development Board (FDB), French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Institut Francaise en Inde (IFI), Toni Hagen Foundation, Delegation of the European Union to Nepal (EU), UNICEF, Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), Plan International, YUWA, Voices of Women Media (VOW), Daya Foundation, Shikshya Foundation, Mila Productions, Pasang Lhamu Mountaineering Foundation (PLMF), Barbara Foundation, Kathmandu University (KU), Contemporary Art Foundation, Chalachitra Lab, Kala Salon, Godawari Alumni Association (GAA), Sherpa Barista Thamel.

The festival is promoted by Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), along with Hospitality Partner Hotel Tibet, Internet Partner Worldlink, Calendar Partner Nepali Patro, Beverage Partner Barahsinghe, and Multiplex Partner QFX Cinemas.

The festival is organised by the KIMFF Foundation. KIMFF is a member of the Turin Board-based International Alliance of Mountain Film (IAMF). 

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