Nepal Film and Cultural Academy · Kathmandu, since 2017
Nepal’s film institution, built for the people making the films.
NFCA is a non-profit film and cultural academy in Kathmandu. It exists to advance film culture in Nepal: to give filmmakers audiences and platforms, to document the country’s cultural heritage on screen, and to connect Nepali cinema with the international industry through festivals, training, cultural diplomacy and production support.
01 / Who we are
An institution, and a movement.
In the years since its founding, NFCA has grown from a festival organiser into a multi-dimensional institution. It runs Nepal’s largest international film festival, pioneers genre cinema in the region, conducts capacity-building initiatives for emerging filmmakers, and creates dialogue around storytelling, identity and social change.
Cinema, for NFCA, is not mere entertainment. It is a vehicle for social transformation and cultural reclamation — which is why every forum, workshop and festival programme is built around a theme with public stakes: gender equity, environmental consciousness, indigenous rights, access to education, and the documentation of intangible cultural heritage.
As a non-profit, non-political organisation with transparent governance, NFCA is trusted equally by government bodies, diplomatic missions, civil society and the independent creative community.
Founded August 2017, Kathmandu · Seven-member executive committee
02 / What we do
Four ways we put Nepali cinema in front of the world.
Every programme is designed to move a filmmaker forward: an audience, a jury, a mentor, a co-producer, or a permit that lets a shoot happen.
Film festivals
Two international festivals with competitive sections, cash prizes and juries drawn from Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Iran and the United States. Screenings run on 4K projection with 7.1 surround sound.
Training and capacity building
Residential screenwriting camps, online editing workshops in Nepali, master classes and pitching forums that connect emerging directors with producers and mentors.
Cultural diplomacy
Film Days and showcases produced with embassies, cultural centres and national film bodies — including the China Film Administration and the Russian House in Kathmandu.
Production and consultation
End-to-end documentary and institutional production, festival strategy, and Filming in Nepal support for international crews: permits, paperwork and talent scouting.
03 / Festivals
Two festivals. Two entirely different rooms.
Since 2018 · Kathmandu
Nepal International Film Festival
Nepal’s longest-running and most visible international film event. Nine editions, films from more than 55 countries, and a forum programme that turns screenings into working conversations about archiving, rights, gender and co-production.
- Dates
- 25 – 29 March 2027
- Submission deadline
- 31 December 2026
Since 2025 · Kathmandu Valley
Kathmandu Horror Film Fest
Nepal’s only genre festival, and the first horror film festival in South Asia. Built on the argument that folklore, myth and the supernatural are a serious artistic tradition — and that Nepal has more of it than almost anywhere.
- Dates
- 31 Oct – 2 Nov 2026
- Submission deadline
- 25 September 2026
04 / How a partnership runs
From first conversation to final report.
Embassies, ministries, universities and brands use the same four-stage process. Nothing is outsourced to untested vendors — programming, logistics, hospitality, technical production and documentation are handled in house.
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Stage 01
Scope and consultation
A free first conversation about your audience, budget and cultural objectives. You leave with a written scope, a venue shortlist and an honest view of what is achievable in the calendar.
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Stage 02
Curation and partnerships
Programme design, film sourcing and rights clearance, jury and speaker invitations, and the diplomatic or institutional partnerships that give the event standing.
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Stage 03
Delivery
Venue and technical production to international festival standards, ticketing, guest hospitality, volunteer teams from Nepal’s film schools, and national press coverage.
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Stage 04
Documentation and handover
Photography, video, audience figures and media clippings, compiled into a report you can put in front of a board or a funder.
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Stage 05
Continuity
Selected programmes carry forward into the monthly interaction sessions, so an event becomes an ongoing relationship with Nepal’s film community rather than a single date.
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Stage 06
Archive
Materials are catalogued and, where partners agree, contributed to open digital archives so the work stays findable long after the screening.
Talk to us
Screening, submitting, shooting or sponsoring — start here.
Tell us what you are planning. Consultations for filmmakers are free, and we answer submission questions directly rather than through a form queue.