POKHARA, Dec 1: The 7th International Mountain Film Festival will be held in Pokhara on December 10 and 11 coinciding with the International Mountain Day, which is marked every year on December 11.
The two-day film festival is being organised by the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA). According to the organizers, they have already started preparations for this festival.
The festival will focus on protection of the mountain ecosystem, biodiversity, natural resources etc.
Thakur Raj Pandey, the coordinator of the main organizing committee of the festival, said that stalls displaying products of the mountainous areas will also be kept at the festival.
Third Pokhara Int’l Mountain Film Festival
According to the organisers, discussion on the past, present and future of mountain tourism and mountaineering will be held in the presence of experts in the field of mountaineering.
"We believe this will help to raise the living standard of the locals of the mountainous region," said Pandey.
The festival will also have food stalls serving dishes from the Himalayan region. Similarly, coordinator Pandey said that the games usually played in the mountain areas will also be played during the festival. He informed Republica that there will be games such as archery during the festival. He said that there will also be cycling, marathon and film screenings at the festival.
On the occasion, there will be a discussion program on Everest base camp management. Jinesh Sindukar, chief administrative officer of NMA and director of the festival, said the association will collaborate with the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation to organise this program. He added a discussion on making Pokhara's tourism sustainable will also be held.
Nirmala Neupane, chief executive officer of Pokhara International Mountain Museum and member secretary of the festival, expressed her belief that the festival will help raise public awareness about mountaineering and tourism among the general public.
Pom Narayan Shrestha, member of the main organizing committee of the festival and chairman of Pokhara Tourist Council, said that the festival will help increase the number of tourists in Pokhara.
Chief of the Gandaki chapter of NMA, Shesh Kant Sharma, and association's advisor Ganesh Gurung said that the festival will help in the development and promotion of the mountain region of Nepal.
The theme of International Mountain Day this year is 'Women Move Mountain', the major goal being the improvement in the economic and social status of the residents living in the mountainous areas.
