11th KIMFF, short film festival running in Kathmandu

The eleventh edition of Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival (KIMFF) is running in Kathmandu since December 11 and will conclude on December 15. The film festival features 47 short films from 20 countries all over Nepal in the City Hall, Kathmandu.

On the inauguration day, Wednesday, a short film by Shahara Sharma ‘Indreni Khodai Janda’ was premiered. The film is made on the struggle of three sisters.

The festival will conclude on Sunday.

KIMFF started in 2000, as a festival focusing the Himalaya and human. The festival was started to showcase a wide range of subjects and issues that explore the diverse and complex ways in which human beings relate to mountains.

KIMFF attract peer review and critiques that lead to better documentation of mountains issues, particularly of highland regions of the developing world.

Selected Films for KIMFF 2013

International Competition

1.     Erhard Loretan, respiser l’odeur du ciel’(Erhard Loretan, breathing the smell of the sky) –    Switzerland
2.     Sulle Tracce dei Ghiacciai: Missione a Caucaso  (On The Trails Of The Glaciers:Mission To Caucasus)- Italy
3.     Pura Vida (The Ridge)-Spain
4.     Village at the End of the World- UK/Denmark
5.     In the Shadow of the Sun- UK/Tanzania
6.     Le Village Suspendu (The Hanging Village)- France
7.     No hau Lugar Lejano ( No Place is Far Away)- Mexico
8.     Life in Paradise-Illegale in der Nachbarschaft(Life in Paradise-Illegals in the Neighbourhood)- Switzerland
9.     High and Hallowed- USA
10.     Down the line- Canada
11.     Ready to Fly- Canada
12.     Die Bergretter im Himalaya (Helicopter Rescuer in the Himalaya)- Nepal/Switzerland
13.     When Hari got Married- India/UK/USA/Norway/Netherlands
14.     Sky Burial- Mongolia
15.     To Sing To Live- China

Non-Competitive

1.     A new perspective
2.     The Blinding Sunlight- China
3.     Regay Neheni(The Hidden Path)- Kuridistan
4.     Stress,Snowfall and the Inner Child- USA
5.     Beyond the Gates of Phu- Canada/Nepal
6.     Loden – der kleine Monch(Loden- the little Monk)- Germany
7.     Palabras magicas (para romper unencantamiento): Magic Words ( Breaking Speel)- Mexico
8.     Dar Jostojoye Palange Iran (In Serach for Persian Leopard)-Iran
9.     Himalaya Bhotia between Nepal and Tibet-France
10.     86 Centimeters-Bhutan
11.     Life at Altitude- China
12.     Journey for Happiness-Denmark
13.     Goutte d’Or ( A Drop of Gold)-Denmark
14.     Memoria-Denmark
15.     Rob’n Ron-Denmark
16.     The Odd Sound Out-Denmark
17.     Kamlahari, I/enface volee du Nepal (Kamlahari, Nepal’s Stolen Childhood)-France/Nepal

Selected Films for Nepal Panorama KIMFF 2013

Competitive Section

•     Chasing Rainbows-Sahara Sharma
•     Don’t go so far (Antim Yatra)-Keshab Pande
•     Playing with Nan-Dipesh Kharel/Asami Saito
•     Red Monsoon-Eelum Dixit
•     The Lost Dreams-Ankit KC
•     Bal Krishna Sama (Bal Krishna Sama Untold Story)-Dinesh Palpali
•     Jhyawlee-Rakesh Kayastha

Non Competitive Section

•     Mani, the Hidden Valley of Happiness at Crossroads- Sonam Lama and Ella Chay Yin Chi

Last year’s KIMFF, KIMFF 2012 started on December7, 2012 and it also premiered the movie ‘Soongava’.

Kathmandu Ranks Third in Top 10 Rising Travel Destination in the World 2013

Kathmandu has been listed third on the list of “rising travel destinations in the world” by Tripadvisor, one of the most reputed search engines for travelers. The capital city has also made its way on the top of the list for famous travel destinations in Asia.

Kathmandu, Nepal ranks just behind Havana in Cuba and La Fortuna de San Carlos in Costa Rica to make its place in third in the world rankings.

Along with the ranking, Traveladvisor has listed 65 must visit places in the Kathmandu valley that includes Bodnath stupa, Swayambhunath Temple, Changunarayan, Garden of Dreams and a lot of major tourist hubs rich with cultural and social heritages.

The Tripadvisor list of the major travel destinations in the world includes:

1. Havana, Cuba
2. La Fortuna de San Carlos, Costa Rica
3. Kathmandu, Nepal
4. Jerusalem, Israel
5. Cusco, Peru
6. Ambergris Caye, Belize
7. Sapporo, Japan
8. Hanoi, Vietnam
9. Corralejo, Spain
10. Fortaleza, Brazil

Kathmandu valley is blessed with seven of the world heritage sites in the world that includes the Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Swayambhunath, Boudhanath, Pashupatinath and Changu Narayan.

Kathmandu is also the only destination to make its way on to the list from the South Asia in the top 10 list. Around 800,000 travels came to Nepal by air in 2012 and it also has been reported that the number of tourists arrivals is gradually rising from month to month in 2013.

Image copyright Helminadia Ranford

Rekha Thapa writes articles on 'Nepal Banda' day

On the Nepal Banda day actress Rekha Thapa stayed at home and wrote some articles. Rekha has recently returned from CPN (Maoists) Mechi Mahakali Awareness Campaign. She also participated in the Vote for Women Candidate campaign in Kathmandu.

Rekha says, she likes writing in her leisure time. This time she wrote an article on women and religious matters.

Rekha lives with her mother in Ambe Apartments in Gaurighat.

Actress Rekha Thapa asks to Vote for Women Leaders

In a program organized in Tundikhel Open Theater in Kathmandu various women leaders in the upcoming election were present to tell why they need to be elected. Various leaders from different parties and independent candidates were present in the ceremony.

Actress Rekha Thapa was invited as a guest in the program. She went to the program accompanied by her mother Saraswoti Thapa.

About 80 our of 101 female candidates in Kathmandu valley had attended the program organized by an independent women’s right activist.

Rekha has been active in politics after joining CPN (Maoist) earlier this year. Although the party had selected her to represent the party as a candidate in the election, she couldn’t participate because of a mistake in the voter’s list.

Rekha however has been actively participating in the promotion of CPM (Maoist) by attending election campaigns and being featuring in promotion videos.

Here are some photos from the event.