娱乐英语新闻:Nepal holds film fair to promote indigenous film industry

KATHMANDU, April 24 (Xinhua) -- The 5th Nepal International Indigenous Film Festival (NIIFF 2011)is being held in Kathmandu to promote the nation's film industry.

The four-day festival organized by Indigenous Film Archive (IFA) began from April 22, aims to provide a platform for indigenous as well as non-indigenous community to research, document, interact, and develop information on indigenous cultures, traditions, languages, issues, knowledge and wisdom through the visual medium.

Navin Subba, Chairperson of IFA said, "Alike previous edition of NIIFF, this 5th edition also eyes for international recognition of Nepali film industry and indigenous community of Nepal."

"In our first attempt, we hardly got few international participants but now there are dozens of films and documentaries made by international film makers," he added. According to him, in past couple of decades Nepal film industry used to copy Bollywood and Hollywood movies but at present, Nepali film industry and Nepali film makers have the quality to tell their own Nepali stories.

"At least qualities of our films are reaching international level and some of them are liked by international audience," Subba stressed. Nepali film industry had started to address core issues and culture of Nepal's indigenous community, according to Subba.

A total of 42 films from 20 countries and regions including Australia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, China's Taiwan, Canada, Finland, India, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Nepal, New Zealand, Norway, Palestine, Peru, Sweden, Russia, Vietnam and the United States.

Among them eight Nepali films including two fictions and six documentaries from the Gurung, Magar, Newar and Rai communities are being screened.

According to the organizers, this year's festival is dedicated to the indomitable spirit of the indigenous woman.

This is why most of the films are directed by women or about indigenous women. The festival is supported by the DANIDA Embassy of Denmark, National Foundation for Development of Indigenous Nationalities, Film Development Board of Nepal and Kathmandu Metropolitan City.

Stories focused on language, education, environment and issues that challenge indigenous peoples the world over are presented in interesting ways.

According to the organizers, 14 filmmakers and festival organizers are participating in person from 8 countries and regions while 78 years old Alanis Obomsawin from Canada who has produced 47 documentaries on indigenous issues is a Guest of Honor at the festival.

Professor Jennifer Machiorlatti, Skabmagovat Festival Director Suvi West and Jason Ryle, imagine NATIVE Festival Director and Kit Lee from China's Taiwan Indigenous TV are among the prominent personalities attending the festival.