Nepal’s Film Development Board turns Cannes stall into a personal showcase, snubs official selection

Kathmandu, May 20

A controversy has erupted over the official stall set up at the Cannes Film Festival by Nepal’s Film Development Board and the Tourism Board. Some filmmakers have accused the stall of being focused solely on promoting a select few films. 

Director Deepak Rauniyar expressed his dissatisfaction through social media, criticising the Board. He objected to the fact that the poster of Elephant in the Fog, a Nepali film selected under the festival’s Official Selection, had not been displayed at the stall.

Rauniyar commented that the Cannes stall should have been used as an opportunity to put Nepal on the world film map, but that this had not happened. He noted that in the past, producer Ram Krishna Pokhrel had been independently representing Nepal and Nepali cinema at his own initiative, and said that the current government participation had failed to be effective.

He also expressed dissatisfaction with the clarification the Board issued through a press release, saying that issuing a public notice and asking filmmakers to submit their own materials was neither practical nor respectful.

Following Rauniyar’s remarks, actor Mahesh Tripathi and several other film professionals also voiced their discontent on social media.

The Board issued a press release denying the allegations. It stated that this was the first time an official stall had been set up in collaboration with the Tourism Board, and that the stall’s local management was being handled by a Nepal-based UK company called Shy Productions, owned by director Pradeep Shahi.

Director Shahi and actor Pradeep Khadka have been sharing photos of themselves placing posters of Eklo, a cinema they are associated with, at the Cannes stall. The public backlash began shortly after these images surfaced.  Adding to the controversy, Eklo also features Dinesh DC, the Executive Chairperson of the Film Development Board, raising serious concerns over a conflict of interest. 

Posters of films, including Shahi’s directorial Eklo, can be seen at the stall. However, not only is there no representation from the current Official Selection, but promotional materials for other films that were provided to the Board for promotion are also absent.

According to the Board, the stall’s purpose is to promote Nepali films, film production opportunities, cultural identity, and international collaboration in the global market. The press release also noted that a public notice had been issued as far back as February–March, inviting interested filmmakers to submit their posters, trailers, and promotional materials.

The Board claimed it had made special arrangements to prioritise Elephants in the Fog. It said that producer Anup Paudel and director Abinash Bikram Shah had been invited to the Board’s office, congratulated, and that discussions had taken place about giving the film priority placement at the stall.

However, the Board acknowledged that managing the stall fully had been difficult because the necessary promotional materials had not been made available in time. It also noted that due to the Nepal government’s policies on foreign travel, sending a representative at short notice had been problematic, and so the stall was being run through a local partner.

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