After 40 year-long history of Nepali film industry, the first-ever National Film Festival kicked off in Kathmandu Monday.

The festival aims at promoting the quality of Nepali cinemas by upgrading technical and story content to bring them up to the international standard, said Shambhujit Baskota, director of the Film Development Board of Nepal, a semi-governmental organization, also the organizer of the festival.

The festival, with a view to honoring film artists from national level, has week-long plans and programs.

Besides award ceremony to honor the film artists, there are other programs including sole and group presentation of famous singers and bands, song competition, dress exhibition, cine poster competition, essay competition, and cine painting competition, Baskota said.

The Nepali film industry will make a big stride with the country holding such a big festival, which will also help Nepal fit itself into the world map, Baskota noted.

There are 44 Nepali movies competing in the festival. Representatives of the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation and China is attending the festival, he added.

Nepali Queen Komal Shah inaugurated the festival at Birendra International Conference Center Baneswor, downtown of Kathmandu Valley.

Source: Xinhua