3rd Karnali International Film Festival 2083, Surkhet

The 3rd Karnali International Film Festival was successfully held on April 24, 2026 (Baisakh 11, 2083), at the assembly hall of Hotel Shuva in Surkhet, the capital of Karnali Province, with 525 participants. The festival, which featured thematic panel discussions and experience-sharing sessions among experts and representatives from all three levels of government, was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Karnali Province, Honorable Yamlal Kadel.

The inauguration ceremony was chaired by Dr. Mahendra Kumar Malla, Festival Advisor and former Registrar. The event saw an enthusiastic participation of more than 525 individuals.

Key Guests and Dignitaries

• Chief Guest: Honorable Yamlal Kadel (Chief Minister, Karnali Province Government)

• Special Guests:

  • Honorable Gyanendra Shahi (Member of the House of Representatives)

  • Honorable Rajiv Bikram Shah (Minister for Economic Affairs and Planning, Karnali Province)

  • Mr. Dinesh DC (Executive Chairman, Film Development Board)

• Guests:

  • Prakash Bhandari (Mayor, Sharada Municipality, Salyan)

  • Top Bahadur B.C. (Chairperson, Guras Rural Municipality, Dailekh)

  • Senior artists, producers, and directors: Santosh Sen, Bikash Subedi, Dashi Gurung, Prem Puri, and Ganesh Bhakta Gautam.

  • Dhruba Kumar Shrestha (Senior Advocate), Madhav Prasad Khanal (Campus Chief), and Kulman Nepali (Senior Dance Director).

  • Local artists, filmmakers, and singers from the Karnali region.

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Objectives and Vision

Launched with the slogan “Visit Karnali, See Karnali,” the festival aims to preserve and promote the stories, arts, customs, languages, costumes, traditions, and culture of Karnali. The campaign seeks to introduce the region’s natural beauty, tourist destinations, religious sites, and heritage to the world. The festival concluded by involving responsible individuals from local, provincial, and central governments to facilitate a conducive environment for film shooting in Karnali and to contribute to the development of film tourism.

Major Announcements

• Chief Minister Yamlal Kadel expressed his commitment that the provincial government would formulate solid policies and allocate a budget for the development of the film sector.

• Karnali Pragya Pratisthan announced its dedication to tourism development by providing special collaboration and incentives to producers and directors coming to Karnali for filming.

• Minister Rajiv Bikram Shah pledged that the provincial government would support film tourism development by managing policies and budgets in the upcoming fiscal cycle to improve infrastructure for film production.

Honors and Sessions

During the festival, Ganesh Bhakta Gautam was honored for his significant contribution to the field of film and drama in Karnali. Similarly, singers Shiva Sangit, Sangita Baduwal, and Ebsal Sanjyal were recognized for their contributions to music. Following the formal program, panel discussions were conducted across three different categories.