Nepal Showbiz Latest News and Updates

Will Tizard Contributor From hulks of collective ruins to immigrant family struggles, marginalized communities and climate crises, the 27th Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival wrapped Saturday with honors for work from diverse perspectives on a myriad of pressing subjects. The Opus Bonum main prize went to Elvis Lenic’s Croatian doc “Ship,” an exploration of an unintentional monument to socialist worker collectives in the form of the Uljanik shipyard, once the country’s largest.

Back in the 1970s, Gopal Dangol was beginning to make a name for himself as one of the most popular chefs in Kathmandu. Known for his skill and excellent food creations, it wasn't long before he was recognised by a restaurant in the UK who knew he had to be snapped up immediately.

Come rain or shine, one food that always seems like a good idea is a curry. From the spices that help elevate the uniquely wonderful flavours, to the years of practice and superb skill that goes into making every mouthful the best it can be, there are few comfort foods more delicious.

Naman Ramachandran Acclaimed Nepalese filmmaker Deepak Rauniyar has wrapped principal photography on his next feature “Rajagunj” (“The Sky is Mine”). The film is also one of nine projects to receive funding from the Norwegian Film Institute’s Sorfond. It received NOK625,000 ($57,600).

Mumbai Film Festival has announced a packed line-up of 250 films, including the 14 titles selected for its inaugural South Asia Competition, part of an expansion of the festival’s vision to become a hub for works from South Asia and South Asian diaspora talent. 

When Jen Herbert is asked what she does for living she tells people she's a travel agent, but it's much more than that. Jen works for Diversity Travel, a company that is responsible for sending thousands of aid workers to war zones and disaster areas across the world.

Naman Ramachandran “Where the Rivers Run South,” the Nepalese project at the Busan International Film Festival‘s Asian Project Market, has received support from the Asian Cinema Fund’s script development pool. The film, which aims to tackle head on two timely issues in Nepal today – migrant labor and patriarchy – marks the feature directorial debut of Suraj Poudel, who previously served as editor on Cannes-winning 2022 short “Lori.” Poudel is an alumnus of Busan’s Asian Film Academy, where he won the Chanel X award for most promising filmmaker award in 2022.

Naman Ramachandran Nabin Subba‘s “A Road to a Village” is a stark look at the damaging effects of galloping modernization in rural Nepal. The film had its world premiere at Toronto and is playing at the Busan International Film Festival in the ‘A Window on Asian Cinema’ strand. Subba is a renowned chronicler of societal change in Nepal and his previous work includes “Numafung” (2001), which won an award at the Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema, “Goodbye Kathmandu” (2017) and documentary series “Dalan” (2008).

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor Gareth Edwards’ “The Creator” was a resourceful sci-fi endeavor with an $80 million production budget, but its visuals are on par with epic blockbusters that cost three times that amount. Rather than shoot on a studio backlot, the filmmaker behind “Godzilla” and “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” opted to shoot in eight different countries, including Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia and Japan. For an all-out climatic action sequence set in Thailand, a village comes under attack by the U.S.

EXCLUSIVE: In its fourth deal for films that played last month’s Toronto Film Festival, Netflix has acquired His Three Daughters for just under $7 million, sources said. Scripted, directed and edited by Azazel Jacobs, the film stars Natasha Lyonne, Elizabeth Olsen and Carrie Coon. Deal lands .

A chef at an Indian restaurant in Didsbury and a restaurant in Tameside are among those recognised at this year’s National Curry Awards.

Gareth Edwards directed his first movie, the 2010 indie “Monsters,” it could scarcely have been a more DIY endeavor. He had less than $500,000 to tell an intimate story about two Americans contending with giant aliens rampaging through Mexico, so his crew consisted of just his actors (Scoot McNairy and Whitney Able), a sound tech, a line producer, a translator and a driver.

The cost of living continues to make most people think more about their spending habits and try to keep an eye on the number of outgoings.

EXCLUSIVE: Netflix has acquired worldwide rights to the documentary Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa out of the Toronto Film Festival, Deadline can exclusively reveal.

Naman Ramachandran “The Red Suitcase,” which world premieres in the Venice Film Festival’s Horizons strand, is a rare Nepal-Sri Lanka co-production. The producers have released a first clip from the film. The film marks the feature directorial debut of Fidel Devkota, who previously directed the short “The Last Yak Herder of Dhe” (2014) and documentary short “Wind of Change in Lo Mustang” (2016).

Naman Ramachandran A trio of international co-productions from South Asia that are participating at the Venice Production Bridge’s gap-financing market are exploring burning topics from the region. From Nepal, Abinash Bikram Shah, whose short “Lori” (2022) won a special mention at Cannes and who previously co-wrote Venice winner “The Black Hen” (2015), is prepping his feature directorial debut “Elephants in the Fog.” Set in a small Nepalese village nestled in the heart of a forest populated by wild elephants, the film follows Pirati, the matriarch of a community of transgender women. She aspires to a normal life with Master, the man she loves.

Naman Ramachandran Auteurs Agnieszka Holland, Wim Wenders, Hamaguchi Ryusuke and Aki Kaurismaki are among the filmmakers featured in the Toronto International Film Festival’s (TIFF) Centrepiece program. The strand, previously known as Contemporary World Cinema, which honors and celebrates global cinematic achievements, features 47 titles from filmmakers representing 45 countries.

Melinda Messenger has announced her engagement to survival expert Dr Raj Joshi.The couple have had a whirlwind romance, and they got engaged while on holiday in New Zealand. The model, 52, confirmed the unexpected news on her Instagram, on Monday afternoon. She told her followers that they are getting married next year.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Starring “Bones and All’s” Taylor Russell, Ewan McGregor and Ellen Burstyn, “Mother, Couch!” the feature debut of Sweden’s Niclas Larsson, features in a currently 11-title lineup of San Sebastian’s 2023 New Directors section, the most important sidebar at the highest-profile movie event in the Spanish-speaking world. Of just announced titles, also in the mix is “The Other Son,” Juan Sebastian Quebrada’s anticipated coming-of-age drama picked up by Film Factory. “Carefree Days,” the second feature from Chinese actor-director-screenwriter Liang Ming (“Wisdom Tooth”), will open New Directors.

As the home of the Curry Mile, Manchester has long been known for its wide choice of Indian and South Asian restaurants. While the not-quite-a-mile strip of restaurants on Rusholme’s Wilmslow Road now tends towards more Middle Eastern cuisine, there are still plenty of gems to be found there like Mughli and Sanam - the oldest on the whole stretch.

Anyone going on holiday this summer has been warned that vaping in certain destinations could land you with a hefty fine or even a jail sentence.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief

Crystal Globe CompetitionJury members:Dora Bouchoucha, TunisiaPatricia Clarkson, USAJohn Nein, USAOlmo Omerzu, Czech Republic / SloveniaBarry Ward, IrelandGRAND PRIX – CRYSTAL GLOBE (25 000 USD)The financial award is shared equally by the director and producer of the award-winningfilm.“Blaga’s Lessons” (“Urotcite na Blaga”)Directed by: Stephan KomandarevBulgaria, Germany, 2023SPECIAL JURY PRIZE (15 000 USD)The financial award is shared equally by the director and producer of the award-winningfilm.“Empty Nets” (“Toorhaye khali”)Directed by: Behrooz KaramizadeGermany, Iran, 2023BEST DIRECTOR AWARDBabak Jalali for the film “Fremont”USA, 2023BEST ACTRESS AWARDEli Skorcheva for her role in the film “Blaga’s Lessons” (“Urotcite na Blaga”)Bulgaria, Germany, 2023BEST ACTOR AWARDHerbert Nordrum for his role in the film “The Hypnosis” (“Hypnosen”)Sweden, Norway, France, 2023SPECIAL JURY MENTION“Dancing on the Edge of a Volcano”Directed by: Cyril ArisGermany, Lebanon, 2023PRÁVO AUDIENCE AWARD“The Edge of the Blade” (“Une affaire d’honneur”Directed by: Vincent PerezFrance, 2023Proxima CompetitionJury Members:Dana Linssen, NetherlandsMarija Razgutė, LithuaniaŠimon Šafránek, Czech RepublicBarbara Wurm, AustriaMeng Xie, People’s Republic of ChinaPROXIMA GRAND PRIX (15 000 USD)The financial award is shared equally by the director and producer of the award-winningfilm.“Birth”Directed by: Yoo Ji-youngSouth Korea, 2022PROXIMA SPECIAL JURY PRIZE (10 000 USD)The financial award is shared equally by the director and producer of the award-winningfilm.“Guras”Directed by: Saurav RaiIndia, Nepal, 2023SPECIAL JURY MENTION“Brutal Heat” (“Brutální vedro”Directed by: Albert HospodářskýCzech Republic, Slovak Republic, 2023CRYSTAL GLOBE FOR OUTSTANDING

ITV confirmed Ruchee Gurung as the first contestant entering this year's Love Island villa and after taking a dive into her interesting life, we can see why! Speaking about being a cast member on the tenth season of the hit dating show, the TV star said: "I’m a relationship kind of girl, but so far it’s not worked out for me. So I’m looking forward to hopefully finding the right person in the Villa." "I’m single and looking for love, and it’s the perfect opportunity for me to find someone," she finished. So, one thing we do know is Ruchee is on the hunt for the one.

EXCLUSIVE: The biggest deal thrashed out so far at this year’s Cannes market is nearing completion with Amazon Prime Video set to pre-buy international rights — excluding Germany — to Liam Neeson action sequel Ice Road 2: Road To The Sky in a pact pegged around $17M.

Naman Ramachandran After a successful launch at SXSW earlier this year, the South Asian House initiative, which aims to highlight, recognize and appreciate South Asians in film and television, is set to debut at the Tribeca Festival, New York, on June 16. Brainchild of producers, curators and programmers Rohi Mirza Pandya (Box Office Guru Media and Desipina), Monika Samtani (Ms. Media and The Fem Word), Jitin Hingorani (Jingo Media and DFW South Asian Film Festival) and Kirtana Banskota (Banskota Productions and Nepal America Film Society), the event will showcase programming focused on the funding, creation and distribution of South Asian stories for a global audience. The day will consist of two panel discussions focused on content creation in the diaspora and the Indian film industry and will be part of the AT&T Untold Stories Lounge at Spring Studios.

I’m A Celebrity... South Africa winner Myleene Klass is donating all of her £100k prize winnings from the show to charity.The former Hear’Say star – who earlier this month beat celebs including Fatima Whitbread, Jordan Banjo, and Phil Tufnell to take first place as 'Legend' on an all-stars version of the popular reality TV series – revealed the news on her Instagram.

EXCLUSIVE: The Ice Road and The Grey star Liam Neeson is headed back to treacherous and frozen terrain in action sequel Ice Road 2: Road To The Sky.

Myriam Ullens, a Belgian entrepreneur, philanthropist, and art collector has died. She was 70 years old. The story is tragic, as she was shot in her car, and her stepson is the suspect.

A new pan-Asian street food bar, takeaway and restaurant, is set to open this weekend on Deansgate, but it’s been over 40 years in the making. Suki Suki will be serving up sticky wings, steaming ramens and katsu curries, but bringing with it generations of culinary pedigree.

Mark Wright has exclusively revealed that the £3.5 million Essex mansion he shares with his wife Michelle Keegan is the couple’s “forever home”.The former TOWIE star, 36, and his wife of eight years have been renovating the five-bedroom property – which they bought in 2019 for £1.3 million – for three years, finally moving in last summer. And now, after years of juggling a long-distance relationship, he and former Coronation Street actress Michelle plan on staying put. Opening up about how thrilled he is with the lavish pad, Mark says, “I’m loving it.

Naman Ramachandran Nepal’s “Bhunte” marks the feature debut of Bikas Neupane, who previously directed two acclaimed shorts. The project has been selected for the 21st Hong Kong — Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF), the project market that operates concurrently with FilMart (March 13-16). The film will follow 12-year-old Bhunte, who lives with his poor father and mother in a small village called Khahare, located in Nepal’s western plains. He has an obsession with soccer, despite his asthma-stricken father’s objection. One day at school, Bhunte vows to buy a soccer ball of his own when his classmates don’t let him play with them.

Naman Ramachandran Saurav Rai’s 2019 film ”Invitation” featured a child protagonist and once again the filmmaker centers a film on a young person. Rai’s “Guras,” a Nepali and Hindi-language film, is a work-in-progress selection at the Hong Kong — Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF). It follows 9-year-old Guras, who lives in a mountain village in India’s Darjeeling district. Her pet dog goes missing and she embarks on a journey that soon turns mystical as she meets otherworldly beings along the way. “I always had this fascination with my grandma’s real-life incident during her childhood when she stole someone’s vegetables from their garden. She ended up having chest pain after that and when her mother figured it out, she took her to the owner of the farmland. The owner immediately knew what had happened, so she smiled and prayed to her ancestors and relieved my grandma of the pain,” Rai says.

The weekend is finally here, which means a host of exciting new films and shows are dropping on streaming services. If you’re looking forward to a lazy couple of days in front of the TV but are at a loss for what to watch, we know just the thing.

A medic from Dunblane has told of his work helping mums-to-be rescued from the rubble of the devastating earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria.

K.J. Yossman Freida Pinto is lending her voice to a new animated film project in honor of International Women’s Day. She Creates Change is a new nonprofit-led animation and live action film project from global education organization Room to Read produced by Nexus Studios. The multi-media initiative, which spans a six-episode film series as well as books and audio stories, aims to promote gender equality through telling the stories of young women across the planet. It will initially be available in English, Hindi and Spanish with plans to translate it into dozens more languages and will be distributed across the world via Room to Read and educational partnerships. The project will also be released to general audiences in October.