The film fes­tival started eight years ago, and Kath­mandu has hosted five of them. The theme this year is ‘Women Empowerment’. “December 10 marks the 70th anniversary of the UN Uni­versal Declaration on Human Rights,” said Renaud Meyer, UNDP country director for Nepal. “This film festival is the beginning of the celebrations which will be held through­out the year to mark the anni­versary,” he added. UNDP has been asso­ciated with NHRIFF for the past two years. Also, this year, the orga­nizers plan to take the festival to other provinces.

 

The center believes films are the most influential tool to advance human rights, jus­tice and peace. Films offer an effortless way to reach people. They appeal to the emotion of the audience, say the organiz­ers, and can spur marginal­ized people into action.

 

“I still recollect a movie I watched 65 years ago but can barely recall a book I read recently,” said Anup Raj Sharma, the NHRC chair­man, who was also the chief guest at the inaugu­ration program. “The visuals leaves a lasting mark on peo­ple’s minds,” he added.

 

The film festival provides a stage for filmmakers and rights activists to come together and exchange ideas. It also helps put Nepal on the radar of the international community.

 

Moreover, the festival, according the film center, offers an occasion for Nepali filmmakers learn about the work of internationals filmmakers. At the festival, the best and the second-best films will bag a cash prize of Rs 50,000 while the third-best film will get Rs 40,000. The judges will be Tsering Rhitar Sherpa (Nepal), Andrea Morghen (Italy), Zohreh Zamani (Iran), Noriko Yuasa ( Japan) and Angeli Bayani (Philippines).