SATV KATHMANDU Nov 21: The 14th edition of Film South Asia, recognized as the leading South Asian documentary festival, will commence today (Thursday) in Kathmandu.

Over the course of four days, 47 documentaries and short films will be presented at the Yalamaya Center in Lalitpur.

The event will feature films from nine countries, including Nepal, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, with this year's theme focusing on ‘Documentary in Anthropogenesis.’

The festival will compete for several awards, including Best Film, Jury Award, Best Student Film, Best Debut Film, and the newly introduced Best Film in the Climate Crisis Award, promising an exciting celebration of documentary cinema.

It will begin at 9 am on Thursday with a directing workshop conducted by renowned Indian director Kabir Khan, who is also the chief guest. Khan, known for films like Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Ek Tha Tiger, will share his filmmaking expertise during the session.

Khan’s involvement with the festival dates back to 1999, when his documentary The Forgotten Army was screened. He has returned to Nepal numerous times for the event.

On the first day, seven student-made short films will be shown in three separate halls at Yalamaya.

These include Love Like Hours, A Forgotten Summer, Hello Guys, Portrait of Food, Whispers by the River Shore, Remnant, and P for Paparazzi. At 4:30 pm, the festival will officially open with the Bhutanese film Agent of Happiness, which delves into Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness Index through the perspectives of two government officials.