Kathmandu, March 18: Nepal Film & Cultural Academy (NFCA) on Tuesday evening organised a closure to the five day long, the seventh edition of the Nepal International Film Festival (NIFF) in Kathmandu through a closing program and and an award ceremony on QFX Civil Mall on Sundhara.

The festival showcased overwhelming 88 films from 40 countries at the QFX cinemas over this five days. It had classified the films into six categories—World Panorama, Nepal Panorama, DOCS @ NIFF, National Docs, Shorts International and Shorts National.

Finally, the award ceremony held in order to recognise and support the film industry that contributed their brilliant cinematic presentation, creativity, talent, contents and others, acknowledged multiple films and artists at NIFF stage.

Bipin Karki and Surakshya Panta's acting talents and exceptional performances in “Ek Bhagwat Ek Gita” and “Bulaki,” respectively, were honoured with awards for Best Actor and Best Actress in leading roles.

The Audience Choice Award for National Short & Documentary Films was bestowed upon “Arkesta,” directed by Safal Pandey, and “Pakheta,” directed by Sanol Das, both acknowledged from Nepal. These films provided unique perspectives on contemporary issues and human experiences.

Enuma Rai’s “Jarna” was honored with the AK Sherpa Award for the Best National Documentary Film, praised for its painful portrayal of life in a remote area. Similarly, “Yet Another Winter,” directed by Kiran Shrestha, received the Best National Short Film Award.

Internationally, “I Promise You Paradise” from Egypt clinched the Bagmati Award for the Best International Short Film, while “Love Lights” from Portugal earned the prestigious Mt. Everest Award for the Best International Documentary Film.

Serbia’s “Lazarus Path,” directed by Ivan Jovic, received the International Federation of Film Society’s Don Quijote Award for the Best Feature Film, praised for its experimental surrealism and thought-provoking narrative.

“Bulaki,” directed by Laxman Sunar, was the deserving recipient of the National Award for the Best Feature film. The film delved into the rich history and societal issues of a century-old village in Karnali, shedding light on the struggles faced by women in a caste-based discriminatory society.

Furthermore, Rajesh Shrestha & Sankalpa Bhujel for “Ek Bhagwat Ek Gita” and Kamal Ekchai Magar for “Desan (The Epidemic),” were awarded with the Award for Best Cinematography and Best Screenplay for National Feature Films respectively.

Laxman Sunar in “Bulaki,” a powerful narrative shedding light on societal issue stood as the Best Direction in National Feature Films.

The night culminated with the presentation of the Gautama Buddha Award for the Best Narrative Feature Film, awarded to “Wild Swans” from India, directed by Rajni Basumatary. The film offered a poignant portrayal of women recovering from armed conflict, emphasizing the enduring impact of war on their lives.