FILM Southasia 2024: Documentary in Anthropocene began with an opening ceremony on Thursday at Yala Maya Kendra, Patan Dhoka. This 14th edition marks 27 years since the South Asian documentary festival started, which is always held in Nepal. Indian director Kabir Khan, the chief guest, officially opened the event by presenting the Ram Bahadur Tamang Trophy, which will be awarded to the festival’s top film.

The event brought together notable guests from various South Asian countries, including India, Bhutan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. The jury members—Farjad Nabi from Lahore, Anita Pottum­kulum from Chennai, and Kiran Krishna Shrestha from Kathmandu—were also present. They selected 47 documentaries from over 2,000 entries submitted from eight South Asian countries.

In his keynote speech, Khan reflected on his experience as an alumnus of Film Southasia, where he showcased his documentary Forgotten Army during the festival’s second edition.

The four-day festival featured 47 documentaries from nine countries

He says, “FSA helped me shape the person I am today.” He shares the story behind his movie Kabul Express: “The documentary filmmaker inside me makes me want to go into the mainstream industry. Documentaries make you work with what you have.”

According to Pawas Manandhar, the assistant director of FSA, “Seven documentaries were showcased during the day, which students made from different South Asian countries. Over four days, 47 documentaries from nine countries will be screened. For the first time, a documentary from Mongolia outside of the South Asian region will be screened.”The Kath­mandu Post

Published in Dawn, November 25th, 2024