Nepali short films are set to be taken to the international market commercially through ‘Short Film Development Lab’.

According to Praveen Kumar Rawat, founder of Chalachitra Lab, a five-day intensive workshop will be held from May 21 to 25 in collaboration with Chalachitra Lab and the Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival (KIMFF).

He says that this lab is an opportunity for fiction short films at the script stage, with durations ranging from 10 to 25 minutes. The deadline for filmmakers who wish to participate in the lab to submit their applications has been set for April 13.

A maximum of only six outstanding projects from across the country will be selected for the lab. The directors and producers of the selected projects will receive direct training from mentors. The mentors will help refine the scripts, clarify the directorial vision, and assist in preparing pitches and pitch decks.

After five days of learning, participants will get the opportunity to pitch their projects in front of figures from the film industry, investors, and distributors during the KIMFF festival.

As per the statement, awards have been arranged for the best projects participating in this year’s lab. It has been stated that the top project will receive a cash prize.

After the film is completed, support will also be provided to develop a distribution strategy for submitting it to international festivals. Sushant Shrestha, the founder of the Story Lab, informed that certain technical criteria must be met to participate in the lab.

According to him, the project being submitted must be registered with the Nepal Copyright Registrar’s Office. “This ensures that the creator’s work is protected and helps build a strong foundation for professional filmmaking,” he said.

KIMFF Director Ramyata Limbu stated that collaboration with the Chalachitra Lab will inspire the new generation to move forward. “We want to build a strong bridge between independent young Nepali filmmakers and producers in the film industry. We are confident that this partnership with the Chalachitra lab will act as a catalyst, especially for the new generation of narrative cinema,” she said.

There is a requirement that one director and one producer must participate in the lab. It has been stated that the results of the selected projects will be announced on April 28.

Those interested in participating must submit their previous work, script, and other necessary documents through an online form.