Currently, the culture of making short films has grown in Nepal. The makers of short films are not just releasing films but also sending them to various film festivals around the globe.
Some short movies have not just made it to the big film festivals, but they have also won awards there. Such achievements have made the country proud and inspired thousands of aspiring moviemakers to create. Due to the significant achievements that Nepali short movies have earned in the global arena, the future of short movie makers looks promising.
This week Onlinekhabar has come up with a list of eight Nepali short movies acclaimed globally.
Enjoy the list.
Windhorse
Directed by Sunil Gurung, the film revolves around the story of 50-year-old Sonam, who embarks on a journey to Nepal’s high-altitude monasteries to honour his deceased wife, whose funeral he missed, reuniting with his estranged son Karma whom he is seeing for the first time.
The film was screened in Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2023 and Winterthur International Short Film Festival 2023.
Chiso Ghar
Chiso Ghar, directed by Bidushi Giri, was selected for the world premiere at the Mumbai Film Festival 2023.
The film depicts the story of a dance tutor who encounters the infidelity of her partner and her father. In the film, she has to go through misery as she walks her way.
Lori
Directed by Abinash Bikram Shah Lori is the first Nepali film to make the Official Selection at Festival de Cannes. Similarly, it also won the Short Film Special Mention from the Jury – a rarely awarded accolade in the festival.
Lori is a story about a mother who sings lullabies to her 12-year-old daughter to calm her down. But, when the lullabies end, and the daughter comes to her senses, the reality turns out to be much grimmer, and life-altering.
Songs of Love and Hate
Songs of Love and Hate, directed by Saurav Ghimire, premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival 2024.
The film revolves around the story of Prem, the host of a popular radio show offering advice on matters of the heart, who is himself plagued by heartache. Seeking solace, he retreats to the rugged mountains.
Amidst his emotional turmoil, he receives desperate calls from listeners seeking guidance, their pleas echoing through the wilderness.
Sakshi Rukh
Directed by Niranjan Bhetwal, Sakshi Rukh was screened in the 28th Busan International Film Festival, 53rd International Film Festival Rotterdam and 46th Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival.
Sakshi Rukh delves into the story of Shreedhar, who is at the threshold of adulthood and stumbles on a family secret hidden in his surroundings.
Junu ko Jutta
Junu Ko Jutta, directed by Kedar Shrestha won the best short film award at Festpro Film Festival in Russia. Junu Ko Jutta film was judged the best live-action short film at the BAMkids Film Festival and had been screened at a film festival in Korea. The film received a Special Mention in the Children’s and Youth Film Competition of the 66th edition of the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen.
The movie tells the story of a five-year-old girl named Junu. As the movie begins, the child is unable to identify her left and right shoes, inviting ‘nagging’ from her mother and others. Later, she innovates a unique method to recognise them.
Dadyaa
Directed by Pooja Gurung and Bibhusan Basnet, Dadyaa was selected for the Venice International Film Festival. The 17-minute short film Dadyaa, shot in Sinja Valley, Jumla, portrays the challenges faced by an elderly couple living an isolated life in remote Jumla.
The movie also bagged a Special Jury Award for Cinematography at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.
Jaalgedi
Jaalgedi was screened in a popular film festival like the Berlin International Film Festival and the Busan International Festival. The film directed by Rajesh Prasad Khatri delves into the story of the children driving their cows out to pasture from their village. The sudden appearance of a white tourist sends them into a state of astonished excitement.
