KIFF 2015 Report

Kathmandu International Film Festival 2015
2-6 February 2015, Kathmandu

Completion Report

1. Background

Film is an effective medium for expressing unique cultural heritage, literature, arts and human civilization to the people beyond geographical boundary and political constituency. Culture, literarte and arts are universally known and accepted means of communication to exchange human feelings, stroies and sentiments.
Despite people speak different languages and follow varied cultures around the globe; films speak common language that people understand them. Thus, films have enormous power to communicate the message and connect people and society from one corner to the other across the globe.
Film is an effective medium of mass communication. It is very much popular in all walks of life from a commoner to a class. It has all four basic contributions of mass media like education, information, motivation and entertainment. It has its own cinematic language that makes it as the literature of even an illiterate people. And, we can say that this is the beauty of film and as the film fraternity, we always feel proud.
Film is ultimately a cultural product and it has to have access and reaches to the audience within the country and beyond political boundaries of nations. We are in a global village that has expanded our scope of exchange and rich access across the globe. Migration and Diaspora culture also gaining its moment to explore the film around the world.

2. Introduction of Nepal Film Society (NFS)

Film is an effective medium for expressing nation and society’s cultural heritage, literature, arts, nationality and entire dimension of human civilization beyond geographical boundary and political constituency. Culture, literarte and arts are the universally known and accepted means of communication to exchange human feelings, stroies and sentiments. Nepali films have enormous socpe to communicate great heritage of Nepali soicety to the global audiences.

Informed by above-mentioned importance, a group of prominent celebrities and soical leaders conceived an idea of a pltform from where Nepali art, culture and literatue could be promoted widely thorugh Nepali films. The very platform is named as Nepal Film Society (NFS). NFS was established in 2013 and dully registered under District Administration Office, Kathmandu. NFS is a platform for engergeic and enthuaistic individuals from all walks of life who come together and create synergy for innovation and excellence in Nepali films. NFS is guided by a spirit of "Nepali films from village to globe" in all its activities. NFS performs its actions in collaboration, partnerhip and coordiantion with individuals and agenice at government, inter-government, non government and corporate level.

NFS's key activities include to organize national and international film festivals; conduct seminars and workshops related to films; design and manage campains, fairs and events to strengthen national unity, goodwill, identity and peace; undertake research and studies on Nepali art, culture and literatur; provide inputs to government of Nepal and other stakeholders for appropriate policies, laws and programs for the development of Nepali films, among others.
3. Introduction of Kathmandu International Film Festival (KIFF)

NFS believes that film is a strong means of communication between the people and society. NFS's motto is to strengthen people to people relationships through cultural exchange between Nepal and other countries. With this aim, NFS has chosen to organize Kathmandu International Film Festival (KIFF) in Nepal every year since 2014. NFS believes that KIFF is an excellent platform where art and culture loving people from around the globe come together and share their creation. This platform provides enormous opportunity to promote Nepal's unique cultural heritage at global level. KIFF is also an opportunity to strengthen partnerships, collaboration and professional ties between the cine professionals of Nepal and friendly countries. This process further strengthens people-people relationships between Nepal and other countries. NFS will contine organnizing KIFF in the years to come.

NFS is a group of enthusiastic and passionate individuals involved in film and social sector who has a dream to connect people and exchange valuable art and cultures across the world through films. NFS strives for promoting films from village to globe through multiple interventions, including organizing film festivals, awards, among others. Thus, NFS has chosen the path of organizing Kathmandu International Film Festival (KIFF) in Nepal every year since 2014. This is our second attempt.

In this very context, NFS is trying its level best to make films popular from village to globe. The idea of Nepal Film Society was conceived and established in 2013 to achieve this motto. Hence, NFS began organizing the Kathmandu International Film Festival (KIFF) as an annual event. NFS organized KIFF 2015 in association with Russian Centre for Science and Culture and with the support form Embassy of Switzerland.

NFS strongly believes that KIFF is an excellent platform where people from around the globe have opportunity to learn diverse art, culture and human civilization. Moreover, the film professionals have enormous opportunity to share their creation to others and learn from them. KIFF is an excellent opportunity to strengthen partnerships, collaboration and professional ties between the cine professionals of Nepal and friendly countries.

4. Outline of KIFF 2015

NFS followed non competitive methods while designing and organizing KIFF in 2014 and 2015. There was an idea of having mixed number Nepali and non Nepali films. Since KIFF was non competitive, NFS decided to collect participating non Nepali films from the respective embassies in Nepal.

NFS requested Embassies in Nepal for participating in Kathmandu International Film Festival (KIFF) 2015. A total 10 Embassies - Embassy of Denmark, France, India, Israel, Norway, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Slovakia and Switzerland provided beautiful films for the KIFF 2015. Moreover, five Nepali films participated in the KIFF 2015.

5. Inauguration

The KIFF 2015 was inaugurated jointly by the Ambassadors. H.E. Ms. Rensje Teerink, Ambassador of Delegation of the European Union to Nepal; H.E. Mr. Yaron Mayor, Ambassador of Israel; H.E. Mr. Choe Yong Jin, Ambassador, South Korea; H.E. Dr. Sergey V. Velichkin, Ambassador of Russian Federation; Mr. Jan Moller Hansen, Charge de Affairs, Embassy of Denmark; Mr. Pasang Dawa Sherpa, Honorary Consulate, Slovakia; Mr. Abhya Kumar, Cultural Secretary, Embassy of India; Mr. Stanislav Simakov, Director, Russian Centre for Science and Culture and Ms. Tania Horler, Special Advisor for Peace Building, Embassy of Switzerland were the special guests for inaugurating the festival.

NFS was very fortunate to have Mr. B.S. Thapa, Senior Most Film Director and Ms. Bhuvan Chand, First Silver Screen Actress to inaugurate festival as special guest. Likewise, NFS's KIFF ambassadors Ms. Karishma Manandhar and Ms. Ravina Des Raj Shrestha provided gracious presence in the opening ceremony of the KFF 2015. These distinguished personalities joined hands for lighting the lamp for the inauguration.

Mr. Ramesh Budhathoki, KIFF 2015 Coordinator delivered welcome speech. Mr. Stanislav Simakov, Director of Russian Centre for Science and Culture (RCSC) delivered remarks about partnership between NFS and RCSC. Mr. Krishna Pathak, Festival Director highlighted the pathway of NFS and KIFF followed by closing remarks and vote of thanks by Mr. Krishna Malla, Chairperson of NFS.

The KIFF Brand Ambassadors Ms. Raveena Des Raj Shrestha and Ms. Karishma Manandhar, Brand Ambassador delivered remarks highlighting the important of the KIFF.

Similarly, Ms. Tania Horler, Special Advisor for Peace Building, Embassy of Switzerland; Mr. Jan Moller Hansen, Charge de Affairs, Embassy of Denmark; H.E. Mr. Yaron Mayor, Ambassador of Israel; H.E. Ms. Rensje Teerink, Ambassador, Delegation of the European Union to Nepal and H.E. Dr. Sergey V. Velichkin, Ambassador of Russian Federation expressed significance of KIFF and the relationships of people between the countries.

6. Films and Audience

A total of five Nepali films namely Babphool, Dr. Khatey, Pal, Kathmandu and Bhimdatta from Nepal participated in the festival. A total of 12 non Nepali films including Eli & Ben from Israel, The Forest Boy and Black Brothers from Switzerland, Admiral and Home of the Gentry from Russia, Growth of the Soil from Norway, Mama from South Korea, The Young Girls of Rochefort from France, Astronauts from Spain, The Hunt from Denmark, Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda from India, and The Legend of the Flying Cyprian from Slovakia had taken part in the festival.

There were 300 audiences present in the inauguration ceremony. The festival continued for five days with four shows every day. There were approximately 4,000 audiences especially youth watched the films during the festival period. NFS's records reveal that the turn out for this year was increased by 100%. There is growing demand of the festival.

7. Media Coverage and Feedback

NFS received enormous cooperation from the media. There was very encouraging support received from both print and electronic media to disseminate festival information to the public and stakeholders.

There was a huge turnover of audience this year compared to last year. NFS has received feedback from audience include to have more space for the audience; include more films and extend days. There were also feedbacks that the festival could include other activities beyond screening the films. All these responses and feedback were very encouraging and instrumental for NFS for organizing another series of the KIFF.

8. Future Initiative

NFS has been much encouraged with the success of past two series of KIFF. NFS is in the preliminary stage of its journey which will move miles through learning by doing. NFS has a plan to expand features in the KIFF from next year including competition and awards, sharing and interactions, among others. NFS has a plan to organize film festivals in different themes like peace building, democracy, human rights and environment, among others.

9. NFS's Gratitude

NFS take this opportunity to express sincere gratitude to the embassy of Denmark, France, India, Israel, Norway, Russia, South Korea, Switzerland and consulate of Slovakia and Spain for providing great films for the festival. Similarly, NFS is grateful to the producers and directors of the Nepali films screened in the KIFF 2015 for their volunteer contribution. FNS is further grateful to title sponsor Nepal Ice of Chaudhary Group and supporters Nepal Film Development Board, Digital Cinema Nepal (DCN), QFX Cinema, Indreni group and several others for their enormous support. NFS is equally grateful to the Russian Centre for Science and Culture who agreed with our concept of the festival and continuing the partnership since 2014. NFS hopes this partnership will further grow for many years to come.

NFS was fortunate to begin partnership with Embassy of Switzerland from this year. The support received from the Embassy of Switzerland, including participation of great films remained instrumental to making this event a viable undertaking.

NFS would humbly extend sincere appreciation for their valued cooperation and contribution for strengthening relationships between Nepal and our friendly countries through the Kathmandu International Film Festival. NFS urge all concerned stakeholders to collaborate together to make the festivals meaningful in the years to come. NFS has a dream to make KIFF a festival of feature films of many countries around the world.