WIFV member and co-host of MediaMaker Spotlight, Sandra Abrams, attended the 2025 Nepal American International Film Festival opening night on June 26 at the iconic AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. Kicking off the three-day event was the film, SHAMBHALA, by Nepalese writer and director, Min Bahadur Bham. Abrams found the film mesmerizing. It was Nepal’s official submission to the 97th Academy Awards and was filmed entirely on location in Tibet. It tells the story of Pema, a pregnant woman who sets out on a treacherous journey to find her husband, who disappeared while on a trading trip. The evening started with a ceremonial candle lighting by Nepalese comedian and film actor, Hari Banisha Acharya. He is one of the stars of THE WORLD’S HAPPIEST MAN, which made its US premiere during the festival. Abrams also had a chance to chat with Kirtana Banskota, one of the co-producers of that film and a co-founder of the festival. Overall, 30 films were presented from 14 countries during the festival. (In photoKirtana Bankota, Sandra Abrams, Gurpreet Singh)
The Nepal America International Film Festival featured the work of local DMV filmmakers again this year. Over 128 films were submitted to the festival and 40 were selected, including DEAR PRA directed by Nitin Adsul and featuring WIFV member and Past President Rebecca Bustamante as a TV reporter. Rebecca has been a festival advisor and jury member for NAIFF since 2017 and enjoys spending a weekend in Nepal (virtually) every summer.
Congratulations to all the winners of this year’s film festival:
· Jury Award – CLAY BIRD directed by Kiran Bhakta Joshi
· Best Short – THE WITNESS TREE directed by Raj Bhetwal
· Best of DMV – THE LAST WILD HERD: Defending Yellowstone’s Buffalo directed by Aayas Joshi and Anna Connors
· Best in Nepal Panorama – DEVI directed by Subina Shrestha
· Best Feature Film – SNOW LEOPARD SISTERS directed by Ben Ayers, Sonam Choekyi Lama and Andrew Lynch
