| Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) is organizing the Kathmandu Film Festival, a new international-level cinema event bringing together filmmakers, producers, actors, and cinema lovers from Nepal and abroad. The festival will include film screenings, panel discussions, workshops, and networking sessions designed to grow Nepal’s film industry and strengthen Kathmandu’s position as a cultural and creative tourism hub. A full schedule, participating countries, and submission details are expected to be announced in the coming weeks. |
Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has announced plans to organize the Kathmandu Film Festival, a new international-level event built around cinema, culture, creativity, and tourism. The announcement places Kathmandu alongside a growing number of world capitals using film festivals as a bridge between local creative communities and the global cultural economy – and signals a fresh push to position the Kathmandu Valley as a destination for cultural and creative tourism.
According to city officials, the festival will bring together filmmakers, producers, actors, film critics, and cinema enthusiasts from Nepal and around the world, with the dual goals of showcasing outstanding films and strengthening Kathmandu’s identity as a vibrant cultural and creative hub.
What Is the Kathmandu Film Festival?
The Kathmandu Film Festival is an international cinema event organized by Kathmandu Metropolitan City. It is designed to showcase outstanding films from Nepal and abroad, encourage cultural exchange through cinema, and create a platform where filmmakers, producers, actors, critics, and audiences can connect.
City officials describe the festival as part of a broader vision to promote arts, culture, and creative industries in Kathmandu, while opening doors for emerging Nepali filmmakers to connect with international audiences and industry professionals.
Why Kathmandu Metropolitan City Is Launching an International Film Festival
The Kathmandu Film Festival reflects KMC’s wider strategy of using arts and culture as tools for city branding, tourism growth, and creative-economy development. Based on the city’s statements, the festival is expected to:
- Promote Nepal’s film industry on an international stage
- Create networking opportunities between Nepali and global film professionals
- Strengthen Kathmandu’s identity as a vibrant cultural and creative hub
- Encourage cross-cultural exchange through cinema and storytelling
- Attract international visitors and support cultural tourism in the Kathmandu Valley
- Give emerging Nepali filmmakers a platform to connect with global audiences
Festival Highlights: Screenings, Workshops, and Global Networking
While the full programme is still being finalized, KMC has outlined several core components of the Kathmandu Film Festival:
- Film screenings featuring both Nepali and international productions
- Panel discussions with directors, producers, and industry experts
- Workshops aimed at emerging and aspiring filmmakers
- Networking sessions connecting local talent with international professionals
- Direct interactions with national and international film personalities
Together, these elements are designed to make the festival more than a screening event – positioning it as a working platform for Nepal’s film industry to build long-term international relationships.
Kathmandu’s Growing Profile on the Global Film Stage
The Kathmandu Film Festival arrives at a moment when Nepali cinema is gaining unprecedented international attention. At the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, the Nepali film “Elephant in the Fog” (Tiniharu), directed by Avinash Bikram Shah, won the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard category and reportedly received a lengthy standing ovation.
Acting Mayor of Kathmandu, Sunita Dangol, attended the Cannes Film Festival and described Nepal’s presence there as a proud moment for the country’s creative industry. She also used the occasion to introduce KMC’s planned Kathmandu Film Festival on an international stage, noting that Kathmandu and Cannes are both members of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the film category. Dangol has invited Cannes Mayor David Lisnard to take part in the Kathmandu Film Festival, underlining the event’s international ambitions from the outset.
A City-Wide Companion Initiative: ‘Film Festival in Every Neighborhood’
Alongside the flagship international festival, KMC is preparing to launch a complementary ‘Film Festival in Every Neighborhood’ campaign. Coordinated through the city’s Heritage and Tourism Committee, the initiative aims to bring film professionals directly into local communities across Kathmandu’s wards, recognize the film sector’s contribution to society, and promote filmmaking as a respected profession among residents.
Taken together, the international festival and the neighborhood-level campaign reflect a two-track approach: building Kathmandu’s global cultural reputation while deepening local appreciation for film as an art form and career path.
What This Means for Nepal’s Tourism and Creative Economy
For Nepal’s tourism sector, an international film festival offers more than cultural prestige. Events of this kind typically draw foreign delegates, journalists, and cinema enthusiasts who extend their visits to explore the host destination – creating opportunities for the Kathmandu Valley’s heritage sites, hospitality businesses, and tour operators.
By linking cinema with tourism and creative-industry development, the Kathmandu Film Festival could help diversify Nepal’s tourism offering beyond trekking and pilgrimage circuits, introducing a cultural and creative-tourism segment centered on the capital itself.
Festival Schedule, Venues, and Submissions: What’s Next
As of now, Kathmandu Metropolitan City has indicated that further details – including the festival schedule, participating countries, film submission guidelines, and venue arrangements – will be announced in the coming weeks. Filmmakers, industry professionals, and travelers interested in attending are advised to follow official KMC announcements and local Nepali media for updates as the festival takes shape.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Kathmandu Film Festival?
The Kathmandu Film Festival is a new international-level cinema event organized by Kathmandu Metropolitan City. It brings together filmmakers, producers, actors, critics, and audiences from Nepal and abroad through screenings, workshops, panel discussions, and networking sessions.
Who is organizing the Kathmandu Film Festival?
The festival is being organized by Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) as part of its broader vision to promote arts, culture, and creative industries in the capital.
When will the Kathmandu Film Festival take place?
Official dates have not yet been confirmed. KMC has stated that details on the festival schedule will be announced in the coming weeks.
What activities will be included in the festival?
Planned activities include film screenings, panel discussions, workshops for filmmakers, networking sessions, and interactions with national and international film professionals.
Is the Kathmandu Film Festival connected to international events like Cannes?
Kathmandu and Cannes are both members of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the film category. Following Nepal’s strong showing at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, Kathmandu’s Acting Mayor introduced the planned Kathmandu Film Festival internationally and invited the Mayor of Cannes to participate.
How can filmmakers or international participants get involved?
Specific submission guidelines have not yet been published. Interested filmmakers, producers, and industry professionals should monitor official KMC channels for upcoming announcements regarding film submissions and participation.
How does the festival benefit Nepal’s tourism industry?
The festival is expected to attract international visitors, filmmakers, and media to Kathmandu, supporting cultural tourism and giving the Kathmandu Valley’s heritage sites and hospitality sector additional international exposure.
Final Thoughts
The Kathmandu Film Festival represents a significant step in Nepal’s effort to position its capital as an international creative and cultural destination. Combined with recent global recognition for Nepali cinema and KMC’s neighborhood-level film initiatives, the festival has the potential to become a recurring highlight on both Nepal’s cultural calendar and its tourism map. This article will be updated as Kathmandu Metropolitan City releases further details on dates, venues, participating countries, and film submission guidelines.
