KIMFF concludes, ‘Butterfly Bhutan’ bags Mountain Film Award

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, June 3: The 22nd edition of Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival (kimff) concluded awarding Butterfly Bhutan by Sonam Yangzom the best ICIMOD Mountain Film Award in Kathmandu on Sunday. 

India’s Manohar K received the KU Emerging Filmmaker Award for his Bird of a Different Feather. The Best Mountaineering and Exploration Film Award went to Ashima, directed by Kenzi Tsukamoto, while a Special Mention in the same category was given to Minus 103 Degrees by Feline Gerhardt.

In the international categories, Cu Li Never Cries by Pham Ngoc Lan won the Best International Feature Fiction Award.  Yakin Tekintangac’s Mori received the Best Short Fiction Award while Axie and the Wunder Dachsies won the special mention for Best Short Fiction Award. 

Yi-Shan Lo’s After the Snowmelt won the Best International Feature Documentary and Winter Taiga by Dominique Syner won the Best International Short Documentary.

From the Nepal Panorama segment, Songs of Love & Hate by Saurav Ghimire was honoured with the Best Nepali Fiction Award, the Best Nepali Documentary Award went to Chhau, directed by Saja Sunuwar and the Audience Award was given to Kalani Gacon’s Family Man. 

Cut.Katha, a live pitch held at Kimff also announced their winners: Shreeya Singh received the British Council Award (Rs. 1,50,000), Aakriti Shrestha won the Goethe-Zentrum Award (Rs. 1,00,000) and Sushmita Bogati earned the Shanta Nepali Production Award (in kind, worth Rs. 3,50,000).

This year’s festival focused on the theme ‘Fractured Voices, Reclaiming Narratives’.  

The festival featured over 65 films from 30 countries, along with exhibitions and talks that highlighted voices and stories that are often overlooked.