KATHMANDU:

“This is a discerning crowd and to see the number of followers who have a genuine interest in these films is encouraging,” said Basanta Thapa, Chairman of the Kathmandu

International Mountain Film Festival (KIMFF) talking about the growing audience in film festivals.

The sixth KIMFF, which saw a large turnout at both venues — Rastriya Sabha Griha

and Nepal Tourism Board — ended on December 15 with the screening of The Sari

Soldiers by Julie Bridgam.

After the screening of the film to a packed hall, the award ceremony was held. The jury members were Yadav Kharel, Udyen Chopel and Brigitte Muir.

The awards were handed out by Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Hisila Yami.

In the international competitive category, the winning film was I Want My Father Back by Suma Josson from India. The film delved around the concerns raised by the growing number of farmer suicides in Vidarbha, Maharastra where cotton is the main cash crop and the reason behind it. The second prize went to The Day After Peace by Jeremy Gilley from UK, and Chaukaith (Threshold) by Deepak Rauniyar from Nepal won the third prize.

In the Nepali Panaroma section, Kesang Tseten and Prem BK’s Yudha Chitra (Frames of War) was chosen as the best movie.

The most popular movie which the audiences loved was Cherub of the Mist by Naresh Bedi of India and won Audience Award. This movie is about the rare animal the ‘fire cat’ or red panda.

Finally, the programme ended with a token of appreciation being presented to the jury members by Thapa and Nick Mason, one of Olympus Cameras’ Top Photographers, whose photos had been displayed at the venue during the festival. — HNS