Kathmandu Horror Film Festival 2025: Nepal’s First Horror Film Festival Announced
The Nepal Film and Cultural Academy has officially announced the Kathmandu Horror Film Festival (KHFF) 2025, which will be held from October 31 to November 2 (Kartik 14–16) at the Russian House, Kathmandu.
This event marks a historic milestone for Nepali cinema as it is the first film festival in Nepal dedicated exclusively to the horror genre, focusing on folklore, mythology, mystery, and the supernatural.
International Film Selection
The festival received over 100 film submissions from around the world through the FilmFreeway platform. After a careful and transparent evaluation process based on quality, diversity, and originality, 25 films from 15 countries have been officially selected for screening.
Awards will be presented in three categories:
- Best Feature Film
- Best Short Film
- Best Youth Film
Jury Panel
The jury for KHFF 2025 includes distinguished professionals from Nepal and abroad:
- Mr. Raj Bhai Suwal – Director of Photography / Renowned Photographer, Nepal
- Mr. Hosam Fahmy – Film Critic, Germany
- Ms. Alexandra Enberg – Film Critic, Sweden/Latvia
- Ms. Yasmine Bouchfar – Film Critic, Morocco
Promoting the Horror Genre in Nepal
The Kathmandu Horror Film Festival aims to promote and develop the horror genre within the Nepali film industry. Horror as a cinematic form remains largely unexplored in Nepal, and audiences are increasingly seeking new and distinctive storytelling experiences.
By introducing this genre-based festival, the Nepal Film and Cultural Academy seeks to enrich Nepal’s film culture, encourage creative exploration among filmmakers, and foster a broader appreciation of genre cinema.
FEATURE FILMS
| Film Title | Duration | Country |
| The Ritual Directed by. Bishal Roka Magar | 01:00:00 | Nepal |
| LABINAK Directed by. Azhar Kinoi Lubis | 01:37:39 | Indonesia |
| Khel Directed by. Anurag Pradhan, Astha Shrestha | 02:10:48 | Nepal |
| Indera Directed by. Ming Jin Woo | 01:32:00 | Malaysia |
| Bokshi Directed by. Bhargav Saikia | 02:28:08 | India |
| Pig Hill Directed by. Kevin Lewis | 01:40:00 | U.S.A. |
| Shaman Directed by. Mikhail Merzlikin | 01:29:00 | Russia |
SHORT FILMS
| Film Title | Duration | Country |
| Foreigners Only Directed by. Nuhash Humayun | 00:15:00 | Bangladesh |
| Vanity’s Mirror Directed by. Dale Fabrigar | 00:14:52 | U.S.A. |
| Aicha Directed by. Sanna El Alaoui | 00:25:44 | Morocco |
| Building 13 Directed by. Meshal Almutairi | 00:09:00 | Saudi Arabia |
| The Heir Directed by. Rohan Apte | 00:19:45 | India |
| Film Title | Duration | Country |
| Follow You Directed by. Alexandre Mullen | 00:03:18 | Canada |
| Down By The Riverside Directed by. Anuska Ananda | 00:29:11 | Nepal |
| Ladies Coffee Directed by. Amal Al-Agroobi | 00:10:00 | U.A.E. |
| Rite of Passage Directed by. Nikola Radivojeric | 00:10:32 | Serbia |
| Visiting Directed by. Piero Cannata | 00:09:12 | Italy |
| The Clayman Directed by. Bryan Wesley Lewandowski | 00:09:49 | Panama / U.S.A. |
| Samurai: Soul Slayer (aka Evil Dead) Directed by. Fukui Takamasa | 00:25:29 | Japan |
| Kichiyeka Fulharu Directed by. Shashank Rizal | 00:20:00 | Nepal |
| A Year of Marriage Directed by. Pablo Camargo Lopez | 00:19:17 | Mexico |
| The Leopard Directed by. Mukti Krishan | 00:19:52 | India |
| Parvati Directed by. Ayaz Pasha | 00:10:42 | India |
| Ek Ekan Teen Directed by. Jivan Dhakal | 00:07:18 | Nepal |
| Forever in My Heart Directed by. Obeid Uddin | 00:21:30 | Nepal |