KATHMANDU: The 9th edition of the ‘Nepal International Film Festival’ (NIFF), organized by the Nepal Film and Cultural Academy with the objective of connecting Nepali cinema to the global film market, will be held from April 2–6, 2026.

For the 9 th edition of NIFF, audiences will be able to watch 88 films from 40 countries throughout 5 days of the festival.

Continuing with the slogan “Celebrating Narratives from Around the World,” the organizers have announced the dates for this edition of the festival. According to NIFF, the film selection this year has been made with a focus on the interests of the younger generation.

“We have given priority to youth-focused films this time. Our effort is to make NIFF more youth-friendly,” says NIFF Chairperson K.P. Pathak. “To encourage young makers, we have also included sessions such as workshops on AI filmmaking. Our main effort will be to inspire young audiences through cinema.”

This year, NIFF has received more than 800 film submissions from over 80 countries, according to the organizers.

The Festival Film Selection Committee believes that this edition of NIFF will be special, as the selected films from among the 800 submissions are both outstanding and of strong interest to young audiences.

“Compared to previous editions, we have received a higher number of submissions this time. This has become the edition with the highest number of films submitted,” says Chairperson Pathak. “This means that trust in NIFF among the international film community and filmmakers has grown.”

NIFF has selected 88 films from 40 countries, including feature films, short films, AI-generated films, and documentaries that have been screened at and awarded by world-renowned festivals such as Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Tribeca, Shanghai, Locarno, Busan, and Goa, among others. This offers audiences a 5-day window to watch and discuss internationally acclaimed titles, and at the same time appreciate new and upcoming films from Nepal and the world.

NIFF had opened its global call for submissions last June. At that time, the festival had been announced to begin from March 5 in 2026. However, due to the Gen Z movement that recently took place in the country and the announcement that general elections would be held in March, the festival dates were postponed by one month.

Chairperson Pathak says, “During elections, issues related to transportation and security become major concerns. Considering these security and logistical challenges, and also recognizing the importance of the upcoming elections and the need for broad public participation, we decided to postpone NIFF by one month.”

Awards will be presented in the following categories

1. International Competition Awards

Open to global submissions and regional South Asian films.

2. National Competition Awards

Exclusively for Nepali films and filmmakers.

3. Special Federation Award

This award is judged by a separate jury from the International Federation of Film Societies.