Kathmandu: The government of Nepal has expressed a commitment to maintain Nepal as an open society. The commitment was made by Nepal’s Minister for Communications and Information Technology Gyanendra Bahadur Karki during the inauguration of the Film Southasia Festival of Documentaries, which kicked off Thursday evening in Patan. “I express the government’s commitment to maintaining Nepal’s status as an open society where ideas and expressions flow without hindrance. The government’s actions are guided by the ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity,” he said, while addressing the session.
On the occasion, Minister Karki, on behalf of the government of Nepal, congratulated Film Southasia Festival on its twenty-fifth anniversary. The Festival started in 1997.
“Continuously over a quarter century, with Nepal as the host country, the Festival has served as a platform for documentary makers from all over South Asia,” said the minister.
He also said that Film Southasia provides an opportunity to understand the state of society in the various countries of the Subcontinent.
Minister Karki announced that with the renewal of international travel, Nepal is once again open to tourists, pilgrims and other travelers. “The welcoming nature of the Nepali people adds to the enjoyment that visitors take from our natural environment. Besides tourism, Nepal is also a venue for international conferences and festivals,” he said.
Film Southasia Festival which started on Thursday will run till April 24, during which as many as 71 films, selected from more than 3, 000 submissions, will be showcased.
Documentary filmmakers from countries in South Asia have gathered in Patan for the purpose.
Film Southasia documentaries can also be watched online and films will be available as per the schedule and remain live till the end of the festival, according to the organizer.
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