After five days of screenings, the 22nd edition of the Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival (kimff) came to a close on Sunday. This year’s festival embraced the theme ‘Fractured Voices, Reclaiming Narratives’, showcasing over 65 films from 30 countries, alongside exhibitions and panel discussions that amplified underrepresented perspectives worldwide.

The prestigious Best ICIMOD Mountain Film Award was awarded to ‘Butterfly Bhutan’ by Sonam Yangzom. India’s Manohar K received the KU Emerging Filmmaker Award for ‘Bird of a Different Feather’. The Best Mountaineering and Exploration Film went to ‘Ashima’, directed by Kenzi Tsukamoto, while a Special Mention in the same category was given to ‘Minus 103 Degrees’ by Feline Gerhardt.

In the international categories, ‘Cu Li Never Cries’ by Pham Ngoc Lan won the Best International Feature Fiction Award, and Yakin Tekintangac’s ‘Mori’ received the Best Short Fiction Award. ‘Axie and the Wunder Dachsies’ won special mention in the Best Short Fiction Award. Yi-Shan Lo’s ‘After the Snowmelt’ won the Best International Feature Documentary, and ‘Winter Taiga’ by Dominique Syner won the Best International Short Documentary.

From the Nepal Panorama segment, ‘Songs of Love & Hate’ by Saurav Ghimire was honoured with the Best Nepali Fiction Award, the Best Nepali Documentary Award went to ‘Chhau’, directed by Saja Sunuwar and the Audience Award was given to Kalani Gacon’s ‘Family Man’.

Cut.Katha, a live pitch held at Kimff, also announced its winners: Shreeya Singh received the British Council Award (Rs1,50,000), Aakriti Shrestha won the Goethe-Zentrum Award (Rs1,00,000), and Sushmita Bogati earned the Shanta Nepali Production Award (in kind, worth Rs3,50,000).

In the festival’s closing remarks, Shekhar Kharel, a board member of the KIMFF Foundation, expressed the foundation’s gratitude to sponsors, juries, volunteers, and the organising team.