The fifth edition of the Nepal Rural Film Festival is set to be held in Sarlahi. The festival will take place from April 27 to 29 (Baisakh 15–17) in Chandranagar Rural Municipality, located in Madhesh Province. An agreement regarding has been reached between Rajkumar Mahato, Chairperson of Chandranagar Rural Municipality, and Raghunath Sapkota, President of the organizing body, Celebrity Nepal Foundation.
Embracing the slogan “Himal, Hills, and Terai—No One is an Outsider,” the festival, which has been successfully in hilly regions in its previous editions, is expanding to the Terai this time. According to the organizers, the festival aims to promote rural stories, local culture, and community-centered cinema while engaging audiences, creators, and communities from the Terai region. It seeks to further strengthen the concept of “Cinema for All.”
Launched with the mission of bringing cinema to villages, the festival has been showcasing rural narratives, traditions, attire, languages, and lifestyles on national and international platforms. Staying true to its motto “Our Village, Our Stories, Our Cinema,” the festival continues its effort to unite all three geographical regions of Nepal.
More than 50 applications have been received for the festival, including feature films, short films, and films in various languages based on original rural themes. Selected films, chosen by a jury panel, will be screened during the festival, and outstanding works will be awarded in different categories.
The festival will feature free screenings of short films, documentaries, feature films, and multilingual films reflecting rural life, presented to local audiences. The official selection list is expected to be published within the coming week.
According to President Sapkota, the main objectives of the festival include increasing audience interest in original Nepali cinema, developing a culture of regular film viewing, promoting rural storytelling at the international level, and supporting local language, art, culture, and tourism.
