KATHMANDU

With the festival tagline “Voices from the Margins” Kathmandu International Film Festival officially began at City Hall, Bhrikutimandap on Wednesday. This is the 17 th edition of Kimff where, it is celebrating Sir Edmund Hillary’s centennial year and a special screening of ‘The Ascent of Everest’, about the conquest of Everest by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa on May 29, 1953, officially marked the opening of the film festival.

The film features narration of Sir Edmund Hillary as he revisits momentous situations during the climb. On the opening day, Kimff co-presented an interactive story telling session about snow leopard conservation with WWF Nepal.

During the welcome speech, Ramyata Limbu, festival director of KIMFF expressed, “This year the Kimff team is excited to present an all inspiring line-up of 79 films from about 29 countries. This is Sir Edmund Hillary’s centennial year. We are pleased to present you ‘The Ascent of Everest’ and ‘Ocean to Sky’, two films about his life, his philosophy and his explores as a mountaineer and adventurer.”

She added, “This year Kimff seeks to focus spot light on diverse narratives under the festival tagline. Kimff features more than just films in the presence of filmmakers, audiences, artists, activists, and mountaineers.”

After her speech, the Kimff 2019 jury comprising performance artist Ashmina Ranjit (Nepal), festival director Gabriela Kuhn (Poland) and film director Lee Jae Kyoo (Korea) along with Kimff Chairperson Basanta Thapa unfurled the poster of Kimff 2019.

Along with them, another jury member climber Phil Coates (UK) will decide the top three films in the international competition (17 shortlisted) and the top documentary film and fiction film in the Nepal Panorama selection.

Likewise, festival chair Basanta Thapa added, “This year we have a very robust and very interesting line-up of films. We received 423 films from 69 countries, and 44 Nepali films. We run on the strength of volunterism and Kimff is the first and pioneering mountain film festival in Asia, started 19 years ago. Kimff has played a mentoring role in helping mountain film festival in Pakistan, Korea and China. Mountain film festival is a part of larger movement to transfer mountain culture, mountain society, people and environment through the audio visual means. We want to use films for transforming of society for better.”

The five-day long film festival highlights also include Master Classes by Australian adventurer and filmmaker Michael Dillon and Nepali artist Tsherin Sherpa.