Kathmandu Int’l Mountain Film Festival unveils 23rd edition line-up

KATHMANDU, May 19: The 23rd edition of the Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival will take place from May 27 to 31 at QFX Chhaya Centre in Thamel, featuring more than 50 films from 29 countries.

Organizers said the festival will present a diverse selection of fiction films, documentaries, short films, and adventure cinema, while the Nepal Panorama section will highlight stories centered on contemporary Nepal and emerging local filmmakers.

Festival director Ramyata Limbu said this year’s line-up aims not only to entertain audiences but also to encourage discussion around social and cultural issues affecting Nepali society.

The festival will open with the Nepal premiere of Shape of Momo by Indian filmmaker Tribeny Rai. The award-winning film follows a woman returning from the city to her Himalayan hometown, where she confronts expectations around tradition and personal independence.

KIMFF 2026 will also mark 70 years of diplomatic relations between Nepal and Switzerland through a special discussion titled “Alpine Alliances: New Wave of Nepali Cinema,” focused on Swiss collaborations in international filmmaking.

Another featured panel discussion, “What’s In a Story – Cinema and Censorship,” will examine artistic freedom and censorship issues in cinema.

To commemorate 70 years of Nepal-Japan diplomatic relations, the festival will screen Climbing for Life by Japanese director Sakamoto Junji. The film portrays the life of Junko Tabei.

The international jury includes Indian film programmer Deepti D'Cunha, Thai film archive director Chalida Uabumrungjit, Nepali writer Kumar Nagarkoti, and Italian festival director Luca Bich.

Awards in the international category include: $1,500 for Best Feature Documentary, $1,000 for Best Short Documentary, $1,500 for Best Feature Fiction, and $1,000 for Best Short Fiction.

The Nepal Panorama section will award Rs.100,000 each for best fiction and documentary films, while the Audience Award also carries a Rs.100,000 prize.

The festival will additionally host the second edition of Kathmandu DocLab, where South Asian documentary projects will receive mentorship from filmmakers including Anam Abbas, Arun Bhattarai, and Sarvnik Kaur.

KIMFF is organized by the KIMFF Foundation and supported by several national and international partners including the Nepal Tourism Board, UNICEF, European Union, and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

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