3 November 2019, Kathmandu
The eighth Nepal Africa Film Festival (NAFF) 2019 started in Rastriya Naach Ghar, Jamal organized by College of Journalism and Mass Communication (CJMC). Inaugurating the opening ceremony, Minister for Education, Science and Technology Giriraj Mani Pokhrel said that the film festival plays vital role to build right perspective changing the existing opinion regarding Africa, African culture, society and development. Addressing the program, Minister Pokhrel also said that the film festival which has been organized since 2011 is fruitful in the exchange of film culture between the two countries. He further added that the new education policy is in its final stage of accomplishment which opens the door relating to higher education, school education and vocational education.
Dr. Manju Mishra, Founder Principal of College of Journalism and Mass Communication and the Festival Director of NAFF, 2019 said that the festival is organized to know “Africa through African lens”. She added that such film festival is one of its kinds of exchanging cultures between Nepal and African nations and a bridge to bring Nepali films at international arena. She also drived the attention of Minister Pokhrel towards the establishment of separate Communication University in Nepal which was registered fifteen years back in the Ministry for Education.
In the opening ceremony, festival directors from different countries including Ruwanda, China, France, ambassador of Egypt to Nepal Imann Mustafayev, General Manger of Nepal Rastriya Naach Ghar Pravakar Dev Sharma, president of film development board, Keshav Bhattarai put their remarks. Similarly, the cultural performance of Kauda, Jhajar Naach, Manjushree naach were performed by the artists from cultural corporation. A total of 25 films are scheduled to be shown at the three-day-long festival including 13 Nepali and 12 films from African countries. The formal program was ended with a vote of thanks by president of NAFF 2019, Dabbu Chhetri. In the opening ceremony Invasion 1897 from Nigeria, Nepal Land of Diversity from Nepal Tourism Board, Srijana Tabebung’s directed nepali film Devaki, New Moon from Kenya and The Burial of Kojo from Ghana were performed. The film festival will run till Monday where the entrance will be free of cost.
