9th NIFF 2026 Holds Talk With Women Directors in Kathmandu
Kathmandu, March 1, 2026 [2082 Falgun 17 (BS)]
Ahead of the ninth edition of the Nepal International Film Festival (NIFF), scheduled from April 2 to 6, 2026 [2082 Chaitra 19–23 (BS)], an interaction program was organized with individuals associated with the film sector.
At Kantipur Theatre in Naxal, NIFF held an interaction titled “Har Cinema, Har Voice” with three women directors: Samundra Bhatt, Usha Rajak, and Sangeeta Shrestha.
Purpose of the Interaction
NIFF Chairperson K.P. Pathak said the program was organized to highlight the problems women film professionals have faced in the film sector.
He said, “In the Nepali film industry, often described as male-dominated, we wanted them to share, in their own words, what kinds of problems women directors face due to gender. Our aim is for their voices to grow through debate.”
Experiences Shared by the Directors
During the program, the three directors shared the “insults” and difficulties they experienced while working, specifically because they are women.
Sangeeta Shrestha said the intellectual and creative abilities of women directors are not valued. She said, “A video or film gets made, but the credit does not go to the woman director. People say, ‘The cameraman must have shot it, the editor must have made the video. What role does she even have?’ This pushes a woman director’s ability to zero.”
Samundra Bhatt said she did not receive the status of a director on set because she is a woman. She also said the market needs to trust women directors.
Usha Rajak said, “The market does not trust women directors. You cannot even find investors.” They said the main problem is distrust in women directors’ intellect and creative work.
Additional Information
NIFF had earlier held an interaction titled “The New Wave in Nepali Cinema,” where young film professionals were present.
The program was facilitated by media professional Sandhya Thapa.
