Kathmandu’s cinema scene is about to take a major step onto theglobalstage. The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has announced plans to organize an international film festival as part of its policies and programs for fiscal year 2026/27, with foreign guest participation planned to help promote the city’s cultural and creative identity.

Born From a Trip to Cannes

Acting Mayor Sunita Dangol has called this year’s Cannes Film Festival historic for Nepal, noting that Nepali cinema achieved a significant milestone for the first time in the festival’s history. Her visit to Cannes appears to have directly inspired this new initiative. During her time there, at the invitation of Cannes Mayor David Lisnard, Dangol extended an invitation to him to attend a film festival to be held in Kathmandu.

Speaking on her commitment to the project, Dangol said Kathmandu Metropolitan City is dedicated to the balanced development of thecreativesector by utilizing international knowledge, skills, and experience, adding that international film festivals provide a valuable platform to showcase Nepali art, culture, and creativity to the world.

Part of a Bigger Cultural Vision

The festival announcement was made as part of KMC’s broader policy document presented on Sunday, which also pledged to develop Kathmandu as an open and living museum and a creative city through the preservation, documentation, restoration, and promotion of historical, religious, archaeological, and cultural heritage sites.

The timing is notable. KMC has also recently moved on a related front, launching a “Film Festival in Every Neighborhood” campaign aimed at connecting film professionals with localcommunitiesand recognizing their contribution to society, with proposals from interested organizations submitted through the metropolitan city’s website. According to Ashaman Sangat, coordinator of KMC’s Heritage and Tourism Committee, the initiative is meant to bring all sectors of the film industry closer to the public while promoting filmmaking as a respected profession.

Not Nepal’s First Film Festival, but a Different Kind of Statement

Kathmandu is no stranger to film festivals. The city already hosts events like the Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival, which in its 2026 edition screened over 50 films from 29 countries, and the Nepal International Film Festival, now in its ninth year. What makes KMC’s newly announced festival different is the institutional weight behind it, backed directly by the metropolitan city government and tied explicitly to Nepal’s growing internationalcinematicprofile following its breakthrough moment at Cannes.

A City Betting on Culture

For a city already rich in heritage and creative energy, an internationally oriented film festival could mark a turning point, both for how Kathmandu is seen on the world stage and for how its own film industry sees itself. With Cannes serving as both inspiration and invitation, Kathmandu’s own festival may end up being one of the more significant cultural announcements to come out of Nepal this year.

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