November 1, Kathmandu
Nepali feature film project Ek Mutthi Badal: My Share of Sky has been selected for the Hubert Bals Fund (HBF) + EU Post-Production Grant and is in line to receive € 60,000 in financial support from the fund.
Directed by Nepali filmmaker Sahara Sharma and produced by Gauthali Entertainment (Nepal), Third Culture Kids (Germany), and Chromosom Film GmbH (Germany), My Share of Sky is Nepal’s first-ever woman-led international co-production. The film also features producing contributions from Nepali companies Mana Production and Underground Talkies, reinforcing the collaborative spirit of the project.
Set during the wedding season in a small Nepali town, Ek Mutthi Badal: My Share of Sky depicts the story of a young middle-class woman struggling to reconcile societal expectations with her desire for freedom. The film delves into themes of belonging, sacrifice, and the unspoken roles women play in building homes, yet never truly belong to them.
Starring Aanchal Sharma, Nisha Sharma, and Usha Rajak, the film features an ensemble cast including Sekhar Chapagain, Sahayog Adhikari, Manish Niraula, Gaurav Bista, Abiral Pratap Adhikari, Bheema Mainali, and Ashmita Gautam.
In what is also the first instance in the Nepali film industry, the film crew also has women as heads of most of the creative departments, with Linh Dan Nguyen Phan as cinematographer, Yasashvi Sabharwal as Production Designer, Agrani Thakuri Jha as Art Director, Priyanka Gaikwad as Location audio recordist, Janaki Kadayat as costume designer, Kirti Joshi as Makeup department head, and Myrhna James as Chief Assistant Director.
Known for her earlier success with Chasing Rainbows (2013), Sahara Sharma has now become the first Nepali woman filmmaker to direct a major international co-production and receive the prestigious HBF award.
“I have forever dreamt of sharing the depth and complexity of Nepal’s women’s stories with the world. This award is a step closer to realizing that dream.”, said Sharma.
Abhimanyu Dixit, the film’s delegate producer and the COO of Gauthali Entertainment, is a passionate advocate for feminist filmmaking and has been representing the film project at various prestigious film industry platforms like Marche du Film at the Cannes Film Festival and the NFDC Film Bazaar.
Sara Fazilat, co-producer of the project, met Dixit at the Rotterdam Lab 2022 and showed interest in being part of My Share of Sky through a co-production. With award-winning films like Nico (2021) and Holy Spider (2022) to her credit as producer and actor respectively, Fazilat brings extensive international experience to the project and is a prominent figure in film activism, committed to promoting gender equality and diversity.
Other key producers from Nepal include Anup Poudel and Samipya Raj Timalsena, with executive producer Nikun Shrestha, and co-producer from Germany Roxana Ritchers of Chromosom film.
“The award comes at just the right time and positions our film on the global stage,” said producer Dixit. “We are aiming for a world premiere in the summer of 2025.”
This milestone achievement not only elevates Nepal’s presence in the global film community but also highlights the growing significance of women-led storytelling across borders, Dixit added.
In its development phase, My Share of Sky participated in key labs and markets like Locarno Open Doors 2021, NFDC Film Bazaar 2021, Rotterdam Lab 2022, the Marche du Film, Cannes Film Festival 2022, West Meets East Screenplay Lab, Dhaka 2024 among others.
