Workshop | Navigating Festivals: Funding & Co-Production Markets
About the workshop
Nepali cinema boasts powerful narratives yet limited global platform access. This 4-day intensive workshop empowers emerging and mid-career filmmakers with essential knowledge, tools, and connections to successfully position their projects for international festivals, co-production markets, and funding opportunities.
Key Dates
- Submission Deadline: 25 October 2025
- Selection Notification: 27 October 2025
- Official Announcement: 6 November 2025
Workshop Detail
- Dates: 9 to 12 November 2025
- Duration: 4 days (6 hours per day), 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
- Format: In-person sessions in Kathmandu
- Participants: 10 selected filmmakers/producers
- Fee: Free for selected participants
Who Can Apply
- Emerging and mid-career Nepali filmmakers and producers
- Applicants must have a project in development or pre-production (feature, documentary, or short film)
- Priority will be given to women filmmakers and creators from marginalized communities
- Participants must commit to attending all four days of the workshop
What Will You Learn
Through this 4-day intensive program, participants will:
- Understand the landscape of major European and global film festivals and markets
- Learn how to package your film with strong log lines, synopsis, and pitch decks
- Develop effective pitching skills and a personalized festival and funding strategy
- Receive direct guidance from film professionals and industry mentors
- Create tangible outputs including a complete project dossier, pitch deck, festival strategy plan, budgeting and financial plan.
Mentor
Sunir Pandey, 2025
Sunir Pandey is a filmmaker best known for his acclaimed documentary "No Winter Holidays" (2023), which premiered at over two dozen prestigious festivals including Sheffield DocFest, DMZ Docs, Dharamshala International Film Festival, and Taiwan International Documentary Festival.
With a professional background spanning journalism, translation, and editing, Mr. Pandey brings a unique narrative sensibility to his work. He is also an active film educator at Kathmandu University, mentoring young filmmakers in documentary storytelling and production ethics.
Mentor
Sushant Shrestha, 2025
Active in the Nepali film industry since 2010, Sushant Shrestha has produced films that have premiered at major international festivals such as Berlin, Busan, Oberhausen, Durban, and Seattle. His notable works include "Kathaa’72" (2018), "Ainaa Jhyal Ko Putali" (2020), "Junu Ko Jutta" (2019), "Yet Another Winter" (2021), and "Wheels on the Bus" (2022).
A graduate of the Busan Asian Film School, Mr. Shrestha has participated in Produire au Sud (France, 2021) and the Asian Producers Network (Singapore, 2023). He is a Berlinale Talents and Global Media Makers (GMM) 2025 Fellow and brings deep insight into producing for international collaborations and festival circuits.