Nepal International Film Festival: Difference between revisions

'''[https://niff.org.np/ Nepal International Film Festival]''' (NIFF) is an annual film festival in [[Nepal]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=What to see at the Nepal International Film Festival|url=http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com.np/news/2019-02-21/what-to-see-at-the-nepal-international-film-festival.html|website=kathmandupost.ekantipur.com.np|language=English|access-date=2020-05-22}}</ref> The festival started in 2018<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nepal to Witness 3rd Nepal International Film Festival|url=https://www.nepalisansar.com/entertainment/nepal-to-witness-3rd-intl-film-festival/|date=2020-01-17|website=Nepali Sansar|language=en-US|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-05-22}}</ref> and the most recent iteration was held on 14 March to 18 March, 2024 which was the 7th iteration.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-03-16 |title=Nepal International Film Festival starts today |url=https://kathmandupost.com/movie-review/2023/03/16/nepal-international-film-festival-starts-today |access-date=2023-04-02 |website=[[The Kathmandu Post]] |language=English}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=NIFF from March 14 |url=https://risingnepaldaily.com/news/37708 |access-date=2024-04-16 |website=GorakhaPatra}}</ref>

== NIFF Editions ==

=== 7th Nepal International Film Festival - 2024 ===

The seventh Nepal International Film Festival (NIFF) took place in Kathmandu from March 14th to March 18th, 2024. The event took place at QFX Cinema Venues in Kathmandu Valley, such as Labim Mall, Civil Mall, Chayya Center, and QFX Bhaktapur. NIFF 2024 presented an extensive film screening program, featuring a curated selection of 88 films from 40 countries over.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Magazine |first=New Spolight |title=7th Nepal International Film Festival: Learning From The Experience Of Other Countries |url=https://www.spotlightnepal.com/2024/02/26/7th-nepal-international-film-festival-learning-experience-other-countries/ |access-date=2024-04-16 |website=SpotlightNepal |language=en}}</ref>

==== NIFF 2024 Winners<ref>{{Cite web |title=NIFF concludes awarding Surakshya as best actress |url=https://risingnepaldaily.com/news/40459 |access-date=2024-04-16 |website=GorakhaPatra}}</ref> ====

|'''Competition'''

|'''Award'''

|'''Winner'''

|'''Country'''

|Shorts Live Action

|Bagmati Award

|I Promise You Paradise

|[[Egypt]]

|National Shorts

|Audience Choice

|Arkesta

|[[Nepal]]

|National Shorts

|Best National Short Film

|Yet Another Winter

|[[Nepal]]

|DOCS @ NIFF

|Mt. Everest Award

|Love Lights

|[[Portugal]]

|DOCS made-in-Nepal

|AK Sherpa Award

|Jarna

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|World Panorama

|IFFS Don Quixote Award for Best Feature Film

|Lazarus Path

|[[Serbia]]

|-

|World Panorama

|Gautama Buddha Award

|Wild Swans

|[[India]]

|-

|Nepal Panorama

|Audience Choice

|Pakheta

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|Nepal Panorama

|Best National Feature Film Award

|Bulaki

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|Nepal Panorama

|Best Cinematographer Award

|Rajesh Shrestha & Sankalpa Bhujel

(''Ek Bhagwat Ek Gita'')

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|Nepal Panorama

|Best Screenwriter Award

|Kamal Ekchai Magar (''Desan'')

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|Nepal Panorama

|Best Actor in a Leading Role (Male)

|Bipin Karki (''Ek Bhagwat Ek Gita'')

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|Nepal Panorama

|Best Actor in a Leading Role (Female)

|Surakshya Panta (''Bulaki'')

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|Nepal Panorama

|Best Director

|Laxman Sunar (''Bulaki'')

|[[Nepal]]

|}

=== 6th Nepal International Film Festival - 2023 ===

The sixth Nepal International Film Festival (NIFF) was held in Kathmandu from March 16th to March 20th, 2023. The event took place at QFX Cinema Venues in Kathmandu Valley, such as Labim Mall, Civil Mall, Chayya Center, and QFX Bhaktapur. NIFF 2023 featured an extensive film screening program, showcasing a diverse selection of 95 films from 35 countries.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nepal International Film Fest from today |url=https://www.risingnepaldaily.com/news/24025 |access-date=2024-04-16 |website=GorakhaPatra}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Collegenp |title=Nepal International Film Festival (NIFF) 2023: Celebrating Stories from Around the World {{!}} Collegenp |url=https://www.collegenp.com/event/nepal-international-film-festival-niff-2023/ |access-date=2024-04-16 |website=www.collegenp.com |language=English}}</ref>

==== NIFF 2023 Winners<ref>{{Cite web |last=Arts & Entertainment Desk |date=2023-03-21 |title=‘Saatao’ wins Gautam Buddha Award at NIFF |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/entertainment/tv-film/news/saatao-wins-gautam-buddha-award-niff-3276766 |access-date=2024-04-16 |website=The Daily Star |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":niff">{{Cite web |date=2023-03-21 |title='Ainaa Jhyal Ko Putali' receives multiple awards |url=https://risingnepaldaily.com/news/24263 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230402072142/https://risingnepaldaily.com/news/24263 |archive-date=2023-04-02 |access-date=2023-04-02 |website=[[The Rising Nepal]]}}</ref> ====

{| class="wikitable"

|'''Competition'''

|'''Award'''

|'''Winner'''

|'''Country'''

|-

|Shorts Live Action

|Bagmati Award

|The Book

|[[Iran]]

|-

|National Shorts

|Best National Short Film

|Junko

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|National Shorts

|Best Director

|Pradhumna Mishra (''Dubidha'')

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|Shorts Animated

|Manjushree Award

|The Legend of Goldhorn

|[[Slovenia]]

|-

|DOCS @ NIFF

|Mt. Everest Award

|Mentawai – Souls of the Forest

|[[Indonesia]]

|-

|DOCS made-in-Nepal

|AK Sherpa Award

|The Tiger’s Jaw

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|World Panorama

|IFFS Don Quixote Award for Best Feature Film

|A House with No Name

|[[Bangladesh]]

|-

|World Panorama

|Gautama Buddha Award

|Memories of Gloomy Monssons (Saatao)

|[[Bangladesh]]

|-

|Nepal Panorama

|Best National Feature Film Award

|Butterfly on the Windowpane

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|Nepal Panorama

|Best Cinematographer Award

|Rajesh Shrestha (''Prakash'')

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|Nepal Panorama

|Best Screenwriter Award

|Sujit Bidari (''Butterfly on the Windowpane'')

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|Nepal Panorama

|Best Actor in a Leading Role (Male)

|Pradeep Khadka (''Prakash'')

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|Nepal Panorama

|Best Actor in a Leading Role (Female)

|Deeya Maskey (''Prakash'')

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|Nepal Panorama

|Best Director

|Sujit Bidari (''Butterfly on the Windowpane'')

|[[Nepal]]

|}

=== 5th Nepal International Film Festival - 2022 ===

The fifth Nepal International Film Festival (NIFF) of 2022 was held from March 31st to April 5th, adapting to a virtual format in response to prevailing circumstances. However, complementing the virtual experience, a physical event was also organized at Rastriya Sabha Griha and Nepal Tourism Board. Out of 500 film submissions, 89 outstanding films from 38 different countries were selected for screening during NIFF 2022.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Festival |first=Asian Film |date=2022-04-11 |title=5th Nepal International Film Festival – Awards 2022 |url=https://asianfilmfestivals.com/2022/04/10/nepal-international-film-festival-awards-2022/ |access-date=2024-04-16 |website=Asian Film Festivals |language=en}}</ref>

==== NIFF 2022 Winners<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-04-05 |title=‘Payer Tolay Maati Nai’ wins 'Gautam Buddha Award’ at the 5th Nepal International Film Festival |url=https://www.tbsnews.net/splash/payer-tolay-maati-nai-wins-gautam-buddha-award-5th-nepal-international-film-festival-397742 |access-date=2024-04-16 |website=The Business Standard |language=en}}</ref> ====

{| class="wikitable"

|'''Competition'''

|'''Award'''

|'''Winner'''

|'''Country'''

|-

|Shorts Live Action

|Bagmati Award

|Al-sit

|[[Sudan]]

|-

|National Shorts

|Best National Short Film

|Ice Cream

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|National Shorts

|Best Director

|Bachan Byanjankar (''Ashes of Us'')

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|Shorts Animated

|Manjushree Award

|Heart of Gold

|[[France]]

|-

|DOCS @ NIFF

|Mt. Everest Award

|Out of Thin Air

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|DOCS made-in-Nepal

|AK Sherpa Award

|Gurkha Girls

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|World Panorama

|IFFS Don Quixote Award for Best Feature Film

|Silenced Tree

|[[Turkey]]

|-

|World Panorama

|Gautama Buddha Award

|No Ground Beneath the Feet

|[[Bangladesh]]

|-

|Nepal Panorama

|Best National Feature Film Award

|One Night in Kathmandu

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|Nepal Panorama

|Best Cinematographer Award

|Ujjal Bastakoti (''Chiso Ashtray)''

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|Nepal Panorama

|Best Screenwriter Award

|Mohan Rai (''One Night in Kathmandu)''

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|Nepal Panorama

|Best Actor in a Leading Role (Male)

|Divya Dev (''Chiso Ashtray)''

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|Nepal Panorama

|Best Actor in a Leading Role (Female)

|Menuka Pradhan (''One Night in Kathmandu)''

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|Nepal Panorama

|Best Director

|Mohan Rai (''One Night in Kathmandu)''

|[[Nepal]]

|}

=== 4th Nepal International Film Festival - 2021 ===

The fourth Nepal International Film Festival (NIFF) in 2021 was held from May 6th to May 10th. In response to the ongoing epidemic and periodic lockdowns, NIFF 2021 swiftly adapted its programs to an online format, necessitating changes and reductions in its program arrangement. Despite these challenges, NIFF 2021 successfully presented 45 out of the 65 participating films to an online audience via a third-party streaming service provider.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Republica |title=Nepal International Film Festival (NIFF) 2021 kicks off |url=http://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/110341/ |access-date=2024-04-16 |website=My City |language=en}}</ref>

==== NIFF 2021 Winners<ref>{{Cite web |title=NIFF Distributes Awards To The Winners Of 4th Edition |url=https://nepalesevoice.com/nepal/niff-distributes-awards-to-the-winners-of-4th-edition/ |access-date=2024-04-16 |website=Nepalese Voice |language=en}}</ref> ====

{| class="wikitable"

|'''Competition'''

|'''Award'''

|'''Winner'''

|'''Country'''

|-

|Shorts Live Action

|Bagmati Award

|God’s Daughter Dances

|[[South Korea]]

|-

|National Shorts

|Best National Short Film

|A Scarecrow

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|Shorts Animated

|Manjushree Award

|Uberfrog

|[[Finland]]

|-

|Pandemic Exhibit

|Best Film

|[[Nepal]]

|DOCS @ NIFF

|Mt. Everest Award

|Return to the Lost Eden

|[[Switzerland]]

|DOCS made-in-Nepal

|AK Sherpa Award

|Gurkha Girls

|[[Nepal]]

|World Panorama

|IFFS Don Quixote Award for Best Feature Film

|In my Dream

|[[Turkey]]

|-

|World Panorama

|Gautama Buddha Award

|Dictionary

|[[India]]

|-

|Nepal Panorama

|Best National Feature Film Award

|[[Nepal]]

|Nepal Panorama

|Best Cinematographer Award

|Sirish Gurung (''Lato Kosero'')

|[[Nepal]]

|Nepal Panorama

|Best Screenwriter Award

|Sergio Basso (''Sarita – Tell Me Who I Am'')

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|Nepal Panorama

|Best Actor in a Leading Role (Male)

|Navin Shilpakar (''Lato Kosero'')

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|Nepal Panorama

|Best Actor in a Leading Role (Female)

|Sarita Giri (''Lato Kosero'')

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|Nepal Panorama

|Best Director

|Dhondup Tsering (''Ama Khando'')

|[[Nepal]]

|}

=== 3rd Nepal International Film Festival - 2020 ===

The third edition of the Nepal International Film Festival (NIFF) was held from February 13-17, 2020. The festival took place at various venues in Kathmandu, including Bhrikutimandap (Rastriya Sabha Griha and Nepal Tourism Board Venues) and Kalikasthan (Sarwanam Theatre). NIFF 2020 featured 80 films from 40 different nations over the course of five days, with a notable representation of 20 films from Nepal.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nepal International Film Festival kicks off today |url=https://kathmandupost.com/20/2020/02/13/nepal-international-film-festival-kicks-off-today |access-date=2024-04-16 |website=kathmandupost.com |language=English}}</ref>

==== NIFF 2020 Winners ====

{| class="wikitable"

|'''Competition'''

|'''Award'''

|'''Winner'''

|'''Country'''

|-

|Shorts Live Action

|Bagmati Award

|Nooreh

|[[India]]

|-

|National Shorts

|Best National Short Film

|Kalam  

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|Shorts Animated

|Manjushree Award

|Spirit of the Drowning Girls

|[[China]]

|-

|DOCS @ NIFF

|Mt. Everest Award

|Co-Husband

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|World Panorama

|The Jury’s Choice Award for the Best International Feature Film

|The Other Half

|[[Sri Lanka]]

|-

|World Panorama

|Gautama Buddha Award

|Trap

|[[Turkey]]

|-

|Nepal Panorama

|The Jury’s Choice Award for the Best National Feature Film

|Gopi

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|Nepal Panorama

|Best National Feature Film Award

|Bulbul

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|Nepal Panorama

|Best Cinematographer Award

|Shailendra D. Karki (''Gopi'')

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|Nepal Panorama

|Best Screenwriter Award

|Binod Paudel (''Bulbul'')

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|Nepal Panorama

|Best Actor in a Leading Role (Male)

|Bipin Karki (''Gopi'')

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|Nepal Panorama

|Best Actor in a Leading Role (Female)

|Swastima Khadka (''Bulbul'')

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|Nepal Panorama

|Best Director

|Binod Paudel (''Bulbul'')

|[[Nepal]]

|}

=== 2nd Nepal International Film Festival - 2019 ===

The second edition of the Nepal International Film Festival (NIFF) took place in Kathmandu in 2019. Organized in collaboration with the Kathmandu Metropolitan City, the festival aimed to build upon the success of its inaugural year and solidify its position as a significant cultural event in Nepal's capital. NIFF 2019 featured 60 films from 31 countries.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What to see at the Nepal International Film Festival |url=https://kathmandupost.com/art-entertainment/2019/02/21/what-to-see-at-the-nepal-international-film-festival |access-date=2024-04-16 |website=kathmandupost.com |language=English}}</ref>

==== NIFF 2019 Winners ====

{| class="wikitable"

|'''Competition'''

|'''Award'''

|'''Film name'''

|'''Country'''

|-

|National Shorts

|Best National Short Film

|Super Monk

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|Shorts Animated

|Manjushree Award

|Spirit of the Drowning Girls

|[[China]]

|-

|DOCS @ NIFF

|Mt. Everest Award

|Meenalaap

|[[India]] / [[Bangladesh]]

|-

|DOCS made-in-Nepal

|AK Sherpa Award

|Gurkha Girls

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|World Panorama

|The Special Jury Award

|Komola Rocket

|[[Bangladesh]]

|-

|World Panorama

|Gautama Buddha Award

|A Land Imagined

|[[Singapore]]

|-

|Nepal Panorama

|Best National Feature Film Award

|Dying Candle

|[[Nepal]]

|}

=== 1st Nepal International Film Festival - 2018 ===

The Nepal International Film Festival (NIFF) was inaugurated and organized in Pokhara, the tourist hub of Nepal. While modest in scale, the debut edition proved to be a successful endeavor, establishing a foundation for subsequent editions of the festival.

==== NIFF 2018 WInners ====

{| class="wikitable"

|'''Competition'''

|'''Award'''

|'''Film name'''

|'''Country'''

|-

|World Panorama

|The Special Jury Award

|Keep Smiling

|[[Georgia (country)|Georgia]]

|-

|World Panorama

|Gautama Buddha Award

|Returnee

|[[Kazakhstan]]

|-

|Nepal Panorama

|The Special Jury Award

|Ma Voli Janmanechu

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|Nepal Panorama

|Best National Feature Film Award

|Desh Khojdai Janda

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|Best International Short Film

|Mt. Everest Award

|Jaal Gedi

|[[Nepal]]

|-

|National Shorts

|Annapurna Award

|Ananta Yatra

|[[Nepal]]