Kathmandu: The Nepal Africa Film Festival (NAFF) for the year 2023 successfully concluded at the Rastriya Naachghar, Nepal's cultural center in the capital city. The festival commenced on July 8 and featured a diverse range of films from Nepal and Africa.

The movie 'Prakash' from Nepal and 'The Train of Salt and Sugar' from Africa were recognized as the 'best films' of the festival. In the African competition, Ishi Hyamoha received the judge's award for the short film 'Ya,' while the best documentary award went to 'Calling the Dead' from Zimbabwe. Within the Nepali film competition, Bikas Subedi won the best screenwriter award for the film 'Prakash,' Alish Karki received the music award for the same film, Tej Giri secured the best male actor award for 'Premgunj,' Nita Dhungana was honored with the best female actor award for 'Bhagya,' and Roshan Kumar Shrestha emerged as the best director for the film 'Bhagya.'

A total of 22 films, including 10 from Africa and 12 from Nepal, were carefully selected for screening during the festival. The event was organized by the College of Journalism and Mass Communication (CJMC) in collaboration with the Film Development Board and Bilakshyan Creation.

Manju Mishra, the Festival Chairperson, expressed satisfaction with the cultural exchange that took place between Nepal and Africa through this edition of NAFF. Festival director Dabbu Chhetri highlighted that the festival also featured a day-long workshop on acting and an interactive session titled 'National and International Market for Nepali Short Films' as part of its activities.

The NAFF provided a platform for filmmakers from Nepal and Africa to showcase their artistic work, fostering cross-cultural understanding and appreciation. Through the power of cinema, the festival served as a bridge