Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal includes seven cultural heritage enlisted by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO. The place has also been listed as one of the “Creative Cities of Film” by UNESCO. Last year in May, Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) organized an event to unveil the logo of Creative Cities of Film after a two-hour session on film policy dialogue in the presence of film producers, directors, journalists, film distributors, and exhibitors. The logo was unveiled by Deputy Mayor Sunita Dangol, and the UNESCO representative and Head of the office for Nepal is Michael Croft. The logo includes the title i.e. Kathmandu City of Film and depicts the temple standing on a film reel and set within the cut-out shape of a camera. Adding a cultural touch traditional Ranjana Lipi( script ) which means Kathmandu looks aesthetic. The font rendered in striking navy blue and red colours adds visual vibrancy to the design. This was achieved after the consistent effort of the team led by Deputy Mayor Sunita Dangol, Kathmandu Metropolitan City in 2023.
These accolades seem fascinating and promising, as well as potential opportunities for the people of Nepal. The actual dimension of this opportunity is at the embryo stage and might get expanded nevertheless hugely depending on the interest of officials and their ability to include diverse filmmakers in Nepal. This achievement is yet to yield concrete results since the metropolitan authority is still to create a clear working procedure. However, two interactive sessions with filmmakers from Nepal have been organized by the metropolitan city.
During the event film experts shared about the existing status of development of Nepali cinema. The experts who presented their ideas were Film Director Mohan Rai and Film Producer /Actor Deepak Raj Giri, Rajesh Kumar Thapa, secretary at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and member-secretary of the Film Development Board, and Kalanidhi Devkota, president of Nepal Municipality Association. Each of them were given 20 minutes to share ideas.
Director Rai brought examples from international policies and practices such as assigning a film focal person by KMC whose duty revolves around facilitating international filmmakers for the identification of shooting venues. He also suggested KMC to either host or organize a large-scale film festival inviting high-profile international filmmakers. The other subsequent activities would be capacity building for new filmmakers, especially for women and people from marginalized communities. Likewise, career guidance and inspirational support such as grants, scholarships and free training for aspiring filmmakers are essentials. He emphasized on creating a critically aware generation than increasing mere cinema literacy. The school and college campaign should not limited to promoting cinema literacy, it should aim to cultivate a critically aware generation. To elevate Nepali filmmakers, KMC on the global stage should help them in accessing international film festivals, forums, and programs.
While speaking about the film policies of Nepal, Rajesh Kumar Thapa accepted the fact that the government has fallen short of creating a supportive environment from both the local and national levels. The lack of sustainable livelihood for artists and filmmakers has been a harsh reality. He recommended a proper legal framework to attract significant private investment. Tourism has not been significantly connected with cinema primarily due to the absence of a conducive environment. Hence he suggested filmmakers work on original content. The much-needed action such as upgrading the box office system to enable real-time data collection and transparency of information, and developing and implementing well fascilitated indoor studio such as Dolakha Film City are suggested by him.
In addition, the President of the Municipal Association of Nepal, Kalanidhi Devkota, pointed out that the federal structure has not fully incorporated cinema since policy from 2026 B.S. is still dominating when there is an actual need for policies that cater to the relevant and recent issues of films and filmmakers. While explaining the challenges, he indicates that appointing a censorship authority without the consultation of local stakeholders and not recognizing films as an official component of communication – hindering the progress of films in Nepal. The lack of public participation in both policy-making and implementation, a fundamental right- the right to communication is failed to achieve by films.
He asserted the potential value of Kathmandu as a UNESCO Creative City by means of film. The KMC should leverage this recognition by establishing a “Sister-city” with other cities such as Morocco, Nigeria, and Brazil. There is a need for all three tiers of government to engage in mutual cooperation building networks among stakeholders within the country and other countries.
Film Producer and Actor Deepak Raj Giri complained about the attitude of ministers. He was dissatisfied since none of the ministers had ever taken cinema seriously. The lack of proper studios, and the absence of clear policies even while approval processes for film shooting are bothersome and complicated. Hence, he claimed having a new accolade would not be successful in a prevalent unfriendly environment for national filmmakers. He questioned the sustainability of foreign collaboration in the absence of clear policies and filmmaker friendly environment in Kathmandu. He also suggested appointing a dedicated government official to simplify the paperwork for the approval for filming in Nepal. Furthermore, implementing a subsidized tax system by the KMC would be a commendable move, since it would create a sustainable film industry.
During the program, some of the participants expressed the ineffectiveness of the repetitive mundane resultless discussion forum. The President of the Director’s Guild Society, Janak Deep Parajuli recommended KMC to establish a memorial site dedicated to cine workers to foster respect for filmmakers. Similarly, producer Ram Kumar Pokharel emphasized the significance of organizing film related events especially film market along with events for promoting film shooting at Kathmandu.
Film Producer and exhibitor Narendra Maharjan who is the President of Film Association, pointed out on the sharp drop in the number of films produced i.e from 450 to 150, and stressed tax reduction which is 33% in Nepal. He also called for the exemption of fees for promotional materials such as hoarding boards.
UNESCO representative and Head of the office for Nepal is Michael Croft. Speaking at the event, he expressed the importance of soft power. Nepal could have chosen any category such as literature, music, crafts, or folk arts but the film has been chosen.
Securing membership in the UNESCO Creative City of Film network is result of four- year action plan prepared by Kathmandu Metropolitan City. It is an opportunity for Nepal to channelize creative energy into the international arena. The prompt initiative expected by his team is to have an event in Kathmandu bearing the Creative City logo which is to resonate globally and foster international partnerships. This opportunity allows Nepal to be recognized not only as a country of mountains but also as a hub of filmmaking.
Lastly, now Kathmandu is not only a city of temples, it is also a creative city for films. Having a recognition is indeed a promising start, however true success demands a clear and actional official roadmap. This start is just a frame, the frame has to stand in errect foundation. The foundation must be a well defined working procedure that might not be a challenge. Sooner or later KMC will yield it. The real challenge lies in making it work for the filmmakers.