KIMFF is back with ‘unbroken spirit’
Kathmandu / December 11: The 13th edition of Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival (KIMFF) opened with jury members Ed Douglas from the UK, Eun-Young Kim from Republic of Korea, and Namrata Rao and Premendra Nath Mazumder from India banging the KIMFF gong at QFX Kumari in Kamalpokhari on Thursday.
This year, film lovers will be able to catch 80 films from 25 different countries including China, USA, Korea, Spain, Mexico, and Slovakia, in the much-loved festival that will run till December 14. ‘Auntie Ganga’, ‘Kamaro (A Slave)’, ‘Serdhak (The Golden Hill)’, and ‘Castaway Man’, are among the 10 Nepali films being screened.
Besides film screenings, KIMFF also has the regular ‘Know Your Himal’ quiz with Kunda Dixit, Editor of Nepali Times, and Nepathya Frontman Amrit Gurung; panel discussion on ‘Trends in South Asian Independent Cinema’, short film competition ‘Seismic Shift’; and Abhijeet Singh’s photo exhibition ‘Mountains and Mountaineers’ scheduled on various days during the festival.
The films will be competing under different categories, too. In the Nepal Panorama category, three films will compete in the Fiction section while five documentaries will compete for the Best Documentary award. Likewise, 14 films are lined up for the International Competition category.
Speaking at the inaugural function held on Thursday, Festival Director Ramyata Limbu talked about how it has been a difficult year for Nepal and for KIMFF. “However,” she added, “When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. The show must go on.”
Festival Chair Basanta Thapa, during his welcome address, said, “The fact that KIMFF is happening despite all odds is testament to our unbroken spirit.” The inaugural ceremony also saw a musical performance by students of Naad Sangeet Pathsala.
Pasang Lhamu Sherpa Akita, Nepal’s first female mountaineering instructor and an international climbing guide, who has been nominated for National Geographic’s Adventurers of the Year 2016, was the keynote speaker of KIMFF 2015. She shared her mountaineering experiences, highlighting how difficult it is for women to pursue climbing as a profession. “I keep climbing despite all the hardships because mountains treat everyone equally,” she said.
The opening film for KIMFF 2015 was ‘Bhagyale Bachekaharu (Nepal Earthquake: Heroes, Survivors and Miracles), directed by journalist Ganesh Panday. The documentary features incredible stories of those who narrowly escaped death in the April 25 earthquake.
(Source: Myrepublica)