Sindhu Sanskriti Kendra, Leh, Ladakh

The Administration ofUnion Territory of Ladakh

Ministry of Information & BroadcastingGovernment of India

Ladakh AutonomousHill Development Council, Leh

LAHDC LEH

Sindhu Sanskriti Kendra, Leh, Ladakh

th th24 - 28 September, 2021

The Himalayan region of India attracts �lmmakers from all around the globe due to its unique scenic endowment. The region's unique geography is widely documented along with its indigenous people, traditional skills, and occupations.

In the di�cult and diverse terrain of the Himalayan region, �lmmaking has only emerged as a peripheral activity, mostly as a destination for �lm tourism. However, the emergence of the audio-visual medium has presented �lmmaking as one of the most employable sectors with an additional entrepreneurial value all around the world.

The Himalayan Film Festival presents an opportunity for local �lmmakers to narrate their stories to a wider audience. In the last two decades, the Independent �lm industry in the region took shape with �lmmakers producing local-language �lms. The same period also saw rapid electri�cation in the region, which is the prerequisite for the development of the audio-visual sector.

With these developments, a popular �lm produced in India reaches Ladakh, but stories from Ladakh still remain untold, especially from the perspective of local �lmmakers. Film workshops, masterclasses, and in-conversation sessions in this context will impart necessary skills and networking opportunities to budding as well as established �lmmakers.

Himalayan states of India such as Assam, Manipur, and Mizoram have amassed a vast talent pool of self-reliant �lmmakers and promote �lmmaking in their respective regions. The Himalayan Film Festival envisions institutionalizing a Himalayan �lm fraternity which will have productive repercussions for �lmmaking in the Himalayan parts of India

1 s t E D I T I O N O F

‘A Carnival of Himalayan Cinema’

THE HIMALAYANFILM FESTIVAL

The Himalayan Film Festival 01

Director: Sange Dorjee Thongdok | Producer: Easel Films | Cast: Anshu Jamsenpa,

Phuntsu Khrime

Synopsis: Tashi, a man in his early thirties, is forced to come back to his village in

the remote northeast region of India after eight years when he loses his job in the

city. As he stays in the village waiting for news of any new job in the city to go back

to, he begins to experience the life and culture of his native place and his people.

The experience in the village begins to change him slowly, and he �nally decides to

stay back in the village.

Director: Sange Dorjee Thongdok belongs to the Sherdukpen tribe from Arunachal

Pradesh and is the �rst person from his state to pass out of a �lm school, the

Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, Kolkata. His �lm Crossing Bridges was

the �rst feature �lm based on his own people and received a National Film Award.

Crossing Bridges2 0 1 3 | S h e rd u k p e n | 1 0 3 m i n s

The Himalayan Film Festival02

Director & Producer: Bedabrata Pain | Cast: Manoj Bajpayee, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Rajkumar Rao, Vega Tamotia, Sauraseni Maitra, Jaideep Ahlawat, Alexx ONell

Synopsis: Chittagong is a 2012 Indian historical war drama �lm directed by Bedabrata Pain. The story is set against the backdrop of a little-known saga in 1930s British colonial India's East Bengal (now Bangladesh) where a group of schoolboys and young women, led by a school teacher Masterda Surya Sen, dared to take on the Empire.

Director: Bedabrata Pain is an Indian scientist turned �lm director, producer and screenwriter. Pain had worked for NASA for 15 years as senior research scientist before quitting NASA in December 2008.

He has also won a National Film Award for Best Debut Film of a Director for Chittagong. Bedabrata, shot the �lm Chittagong with the same digital imaging technology that he and other NASA scientists had invented.

Chittagong2 0 1 2 | E n g l i s h , H i n d i , B e n g a l i | 1 0 5 m i n s



Daayen ya Baayen2 0 0 8 | H i n d i , K u m a o n i | 1 1 5 m i n s

Director: Bela Negi | Producer: Sunil Doshi | Cast: Deepak Dobriyal, Manav Kaul,

Badrul Islam, Bharti Bhatt

Synopsis: Daayen ya Baayen revolves around the life of Ramesh Majila, a

schoolteacher in a remote hilly village, who happens to win a luxury car that takes

him on an unexpected journey. Ramesh turns into a hero after he wins a car

through a television contest. He gains heroic status overnight and becomes the

focal point of his village.

Director: Bela Negi is an Indian �lm Director, who has worked predominantly in

Bollywood. Bela's previous �lm to hit the theatres was Daayen Ya Baayen in the

year 2010.


Ïewduh2 0 1 9 | K h a s i | 9 5 m i n s

Director: Pradip Kurbah | Producer: Shankar Lall Goenka | Cast: Albert Mawrie, Denver Pariat, Richard Kharpuri, Anvil Laloo, Lapynhun Sun, Enshon Lamare

Synopsis: ‘Ïewduh’ is about one of the liveliest markets by the same name in the North East India. Here, people from different communities and religion work and co-exist. In every lane of Ïewduh is an untold story. The story of struggle, of hope to give life not just to themselves, but also to those that they love, those that they care for. Today centuries later, Ïewduh stands tall and witness to a lot of history. In its every lane, there are new stories. With scars and colors, freshness and stench, ‘Ïewduh’ is about everyday people and their everyday stories; people not digni�ed as heroes, but nevertheless people who make the lives of each other better. In Ïewduh, when reason ends, relationships begin.

Director: Pradip Kurbah is a self-taught �lmmaker with over 20 years of experience in direction. He has won the National Film Award twice in 2014 and 2016. ‘Iewduh’ (2019) is his third Khasi feature �lms after ‘Onaatah: Of the Earth’ (2016) and ‘RI: Homeland of Uncertainty’ (2013). His endeavour is to showcase the talent available in India’s north east.


Ishu2 0 1 7 | A ss a m e s e | 91 m i n s

Director: Utpal Borpujari | Producer: Children's Film Society India | Cast: Bishnu

Kharghoria, Tonthoi Leishangthem, Kapil Garo

Synopsis: The �lm Ishu is based on famous Assamese author Manikuntala

Bhattacharjya’s novel by the same name, “Ishu”. The plot of the �lm takes a look at

the still-continuing despicable practice of witch-hunting in Assam from a child’s

point of view.

Director: Utpal Borpujari has won two National Film Awards; one, as a �lm critic, and

the other, as a �lmmaker. In 2003, he won the Swarna Kamal for Best Film Critic at

the 50th National Film Awards of India. In 2018, he won the National Film Award,

and 5 Assam State Film Awards for his debut feature �lm Ishu.


Kima's Lode Beyond The Class2 0 1 5 | M i z o | 7 5 m i n s

Director: Zuala Chhangte | Producer: Children's Film Society India | Cast: Joshua Chhangte, Ramdinpuia Hmar, Chhanhima Kenglawt, Tetei Khawlhring, Muankima Pachuau

Synopsis: The remote border town of “Chhimtui,” in northeast India, is shaken up as a twelve-year-old boy “Kima” goes missing. His widowed mother fears the worst. Kima suddenly returns but refuses to tell where he has been. He makes a secret plan with his best buddies “Rova” and “Dawnga” to go back to the forest. On a fateful day, the boys share a ride with an old man who tells them a strange tale.

Director: Zuala Chhangte is a B.Com graduate from Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi University, with a Diploma in Film & TV Productions from Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai. He has independently directed and produced a number of documentaries and TV series. Kima’s Lode is his debut �lm as a director.


Lasdel2 0 0 8 | L a d a k h i | 2 m i n s

Director & Producer: T Wangdus Lonpo, D. Wangchuk Mogol Cast: Padmashree Merup Namgial, Stanzin Laskyab, Stanzin Namdol, SS Angchuk

Synopsis: Lasdel is a love story of a begging girl with a boy from an aristocratic family of earlier days in Ladakh. The relationship between the two faces challenges of social ostracize aggravated by the boy’s father, for whom family status matters most. It is a beautiful melodramatic presentation of the trials and tribulations faced by the lovers, and for whom to make the two ends meet meant sacri�ces unthinkable those days. The �lm has attempted to recall and narrate the rigid social strati�cation that promptly rejects any marital relationship between the low-caste community and royalties in the society, the residues of which are still predominant in the social vehicle of Ladakh today.

Director: D. Wangchuk Mogol is an Indian �lm director. He has directed �lms in various languages such as English, Urdu, Ladakhi, Tibetan, Hindi, Balti.

Tsering Angdus Lonpo is a �lmmaker, scriptwriter from Ladakh. He has made �lms in various languages such as Ladakhi, English, Urdu, Tibetan, Hindi, Balti.


Loktak Lariembee2 0 1 6 | M a n i p u r i | 7 2 m i n s

Director: Haobam Paban Kumar | Producer: Haobam Paban Kumar | Cast:

Ningthoujam Sanatomba

Synopsis: Loktak Lairembee is a 2016 Manipuri �lm directed and produced by

Haobam Paban Kumar. The plot of the �lm revolves around a �shing community

living on �oating biomass in Loktak Lake in Manipur, North-Eastern state in India.

The community was ousted from their houses by government intervention in 2011.

Director: Haobam Paban Kumar is an Indian �lmmaker from the state of Manipur.

Kumar's debut feature �lm Loktak Lairembee (Lady of the Lake) won the National

Film Award for Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation at the 64th

National Film Awards 2017. Kumar's other �lms, The First Leap (2008), Mr India

(2009) and Ruptured Spring (2012), have also been appreciated.


Director: Motup Chospa | Producer: Chospa Creations | Cast: Tsering Motup, Tsering Norzom, Rinchen Sabi, Tsewang Wangyal

Synopsis: Lzadol is a story of a woman who had the will and wit to stand against the corruption and despotic behavior of the mighty man in an ancient society. The aristocrat’s son Toldan was an evil man who treated his debtors as bonded laborers and developed a lust for Lzadol and wanted to marry her. On seeing Lzadol’s love and faithfulness towards her husband, Toldan stoned Nima to death in a plot with the help of his friend Migmar. Later when Lzadol was proposed by Toldan to marry him, she found the opportunity to avenge the murder of her beloved husband and played her wit against the despot.

Director: Motup Chospa is a director, producer, cinematographer and editor from the Himalayan State of Ladakh. In 2002, Motup Chospa founded Chospa Creations, a production house with its �rst-ever music video in Ladakhi language, “HAI GAWAY NGEMO”, which rose to popularity and began a trend of Ladakhi music video albums. Since then, Mutop Chospa as a director, producer, cinematographer and editor, has directed and produced 15 music video albums, 7 Ladakhi feature �lms, tele�lms and TV series for DDK-Leh and documentaries for national television.

Lzadol2 0 1 3 | L a d a k h i | 1 1 7 m i n s


Director: Sanjeev Rattan | Producer: Bedabrata Pain | Cast: Sanjeev Rattan, Riya

Synopsis: Mane De Phere is set in Kangra Valley and it’s the story of an orphan who develops schizophrenia soon after his marriage. The �lm begins with a plan of a weird pain, elation, loneliness and terror involved where a person denies to trust his friends, family and after a certain point himself/herself as well.

Director: Sanjeev Rattan was born and brought up in Himachal Pradesh in a village called Khaniara, located in the heart of Dharamshala. He completed his M.A. in theatre and arts from Indian Theatre Dept; Punjab University, Chandigarh. He then practiced theatre for 2 years in Chandigarh with more than 20 theatre workshops and 20 plays.

He Acted in Kareeb, Mission Kashmir and a Tele-serial Captain Vyom. He has to his credit as writer/director/producer a Himachali Feature Film ‘Dile Ch Vasya Koi’. (Dogri Language).

Mane De Phere2 0 1 6 | H i m a c h a l i | 1 0 5 m i n s


Shepherds of Paradise2 0 1 2 | Go j r i , U rd u | 5 0 m i n s

Director & Producer: Raja Shabir Khan

Synopsis: Nomadic herder Gafoor has to lead his large �ock of goats, sheep, cows and horses across Jammu all the way to Kashmir so they can graze. An already di�cult journey of nearly 200 miles done by foot in just 21 days, Gafoor faces the added challenges of military checkpoints and impenetrable terrain in blinding winter conditions. At 75 years old, Gafoor also leads his family in a way of life that the young seem less and less interested in following.

Director: Raja Shabir Khan’s �lm ‘Shepherds of Paradise’ won the Best Non-Feature Film and Best Cinematography.awards at the 60th National Film Awards.

Raja Shabir Khan is graduate from Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, Kolkata, one of the most prestigious �lm schools of India. In 2014 he won a National Film award for his documentary �lm Shepherds of Paradise. He has worked with International broadcasters like NHK (Japan), MediaCorp (Singapore), KBS (South Korea) and Aljazeera Documentary (Doha).


Shershaah2 0 21 | H i n d i | 1 3 5 m i n s

Director: Vishnuvardhan | Producer: Dharma Productions | Cast: Sidharth Malhotra,

Kiara Advani

Synopsis: The Hindi-language biographical war �lm ‘Shershaah’ is based on the life

of an Indian army captain Vikram Batra, who was awarded the nation’s highest

award for valour, the Param Vir Chakra. The �lm involves his brave actions during

the 1999 Kargil war.

Director: Vishnuvardhan is an Indian �lm director who predominantly works in the

Tamil �lm industry. He made his directorial debut in 2003 with Kurumbu, and his

subsequent �lms, Arinthum Ariyamalum (2005), Pattiyal (2006), Billa (2007) and

Arrambam (2013) went on to become highly successful ventures, turning him into a

household name in Tamil Nadu.


The Pangti Story2 0 1 7 | E n g l i s h , L o t h a , N a g a m e s e | 2 6 m i n s

Director: Sesino Yhoshü | Producer: Rajiv Mehrotra, PSBT

Synopsis: The �lm explores the transition of an entire village from one that slaughtered thousands of Amur Falcons, the longest travelling raptors in the world, which �y from Siberia every fall to roost in Pangti, a Lotha Naga village in Nagaland, to becoming their most fervent preservationists.

Director: Sesino Yhoshu has directed and produced �lms that explore borders, women empowerment, HIV & AIDS, youth and environment. She discovered her love for �lms in high school and went on to study mass communication, electronic cinematography and documentary by practice. Her passion to engage with stories through �lms led her to start TakeOne, a production house based in Nagaland. Since then, she along with her team of storytellers has been exploring this limitless world of visual imagery. She is a mother of two and lives with her family in Kohima.


The Shepherdess of the Glaciers2 0 1 7 | L a d a k h i | 7 5 m i n s

Director & Producer: Stanzin Dorjai, Christiane Mordelet

Synopsis: The Shepherdess of the Glaciers is a glimpse into the life of Tsering, a shepherdess from the far-off village of Gya, which is at a distance of 70 km from Leh in Ladakh. At the age of 50, she is one of the last shepherdesses to graze her 300 sheep and goats in her village. After her father's early death, Tsering, being the second eldest among her siblings, takes on his job at an early age. She is the sole breadwinner of the family, which depends on the sale of cashmere wool.

Director: Stanzin Dorjai is an Indian documentary �lmmaker from Ladakh. He has won many �lm festival awards for his �lm The Shepherdess of the Glaciers. Dorjai has worked as an editor, executive producer and cinematographer of Tsondus, which is his �rst feature �lm. Christiane Mordelet is an Indian �lmmaker from Ladakh. Her �lm Shepherdess of the Glaciers won many awards at various �lm festivals.


Director : S. Nallamuthu | Producer: Natural History Unit India

Synopsis: The World’s Most Famous Tiger is based on the True Story of Machli, the

World's Most Famous Tiger. In her 19 years, Machli attacked crocodiles, defended

cubs from males, and managed to survive for years with one eye. Machli's �erce

determination and distinctive appearance have made her a legend among tigers

Director: S. Nallamuthu is a leading wildlife �lmmaker from India. He specialized in

cinematography from FTIT, Chennai and later worked as a high-speed cameraman

with Indian Space Research Organization.

The World’s Most Famous Tiger2 0 1 9 | E n g l i s h | 4 4 m i n s


Wake Up2 0 1 3 | S i l e n t | 1 3 m i n s

Director & Producer: T Wangdus Lonpo, D. Wangchuk Mogol

Synopsis: The plot of the story has attempted to bring the issue of female foeticide

to the fore, hoping to generate serious discussion over the evil practice. It begins

with a dream of a man who wakes up with a great shock and perspiration on his

horri�ed face, following which he takes a small step for a journey unparalleled.

Director: D. Wangchuk Mogol is an Indian �lm director. He has directed �lms in

various languages such as English, Urdu, Ladakhi, Tibetan, Hindi, Balti.

Tsering Angdus Lonpo is a �lmmaker, scriptwriter from Ladakh. He has made �lms

in various languages such as Ladakhi, English, Urdu, Tibetan, Hindi, Balti.


Walking With the Wind2 0 1 7 | L a d a k h i | 7 9 m i n s

Director: Praveen Morchhale | Producer: Mannu | Cast: Rigzin Dolkar, Phunchok Toldan, Sonam Wangyal

Synopsis: Ten-year-old Tsering lives in the di�cult terrain of the Himalayas. One day he accidentally breaks his friend's school chair. When he decides to bring the chair back to his village, the 7 kilometres long journey back home in the mountainous landscape on a donkey becomes even more arduous than usual. The chair is the metaphor for the awakening journey, the quest for inner truth and reality, which people aspire to �nd in the adult world.

Director: Praveen Morchhale is an Indian �lm director, producer and screenwriter. Praveen Morchhale directed his �rst feature �lm, Barefoot to Goa, in 2015. His feature �lm "Walking with the Wind" bagged three prizes at the 65th National Film Awards. It was also awarded the ICFT UNESCO Gandhi medal at the 49th International Film Festival of India.


Yarwng2 0 0 8 | K o k b o ro k | 9 5 m i n s

Director: Joseph Pulinthanath | Producer: Sampari Pictures Tripura | Cast: Meena Debbarma, Nirmal Jamatia, Ma Surabhi Debbarma, Sushil Debbarma

Synopsis: Yarwng is a 2008 Kokborok feature �lm directed by Joseph Pulinthanath. The story of the 95-minute feature �lm revolves around the large-scale displacement which happened in Tripura state, in northeast India, when the newly-built Dumbur dam (1970s) submerged huge areas of arable land in the fertile Raima valley about 40 years ago.

Director: After graduating in English from the North Eastern Hill University, Joseph Pulinthanath did his master's in theology also in Shillong. He completed his �lm studies and �lm appreciation course in Delhi and FTII Pune. The multilingual director from Tripura is a Catholic priest and shot into the limelight with his �lm Mathia.


Director: Tribeny Rai | Producer: Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute | Cast:

Dibya Chettri, Reena Raya, Manila Tamang

Synopsis: The plot of the �lm Yathawat' concerns three daughters who, bereft of

their father, try to win back his government job for their youngest sibling, on

grounds of compensation.

Director: Tribeny Rai is a �lmmaker based in Sikkim. She is an alumna of Satyajit Ray

Film and Television Institute (India) and Docskool Clinik, Kathmandu. She has

participated in the 8th VGIK International Summer School, held in Petrozavodsk

(Russia), Producers Lab at International Film festival of Rotterdam and Talent

Campus program at the 37th Fajr International Film Festival (Iran).

Yathawat2 0 1 5 | N e p a l i | 2 4 m i n s


20 Years2 0 1 7 | L a d a k h i | 7 5 m i n s

Director: T. Wangdus Lonpo, D. Wangchuk Mogol | Producer: SV Production | Cast: SS

Angchuk, Dechen Yangdol, Lobzang Japa, Sonam Chhumathang, Baby Angmo

Synopsis: Lo-Nishu (Twenty Years) is a story about a woman (Kunzom) who raises

her voice of dissent, held back in her heart for 20 long years, fearing the social

stigma. The �lm has made a bold attempt to portray on screen the nightmarish

experience of a woman living in a conservative society, which leaves her suffering

for many years.

Director: D. Wangchuk Mogol is an Indian �lm director. He has directed �lms in

various languages such as English, Urdu, Ladakhi, Tibetan, Hindi, Balti.

Tsering Angdus Lonpo is a �lmmaker, scriptwriter from Ladakh. He has made �lms

in various languages such as Ladakhi, English, Urdu, Tibetan, Hindi, Balti.


3 Idiots2 0 0 9 | H i n d i | 1 7 1 m i n s

Director: Rajkumar Hirani | Producer: Vidhu Vinod Chopra | Cast: Aamir Khan, R.

Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Kareena Kapoor, Boman Irani, Omi Vaidya

Synopsis: The �lm follows the friendship of three students at an Indian engineering

college and is a satire about the social pressures under an Indian education

system. In college, Farhan and Raju form a great bond with Rancho due to his

positive and refreshing outlook to life. Years later, a bet gives them a chance to

look for their long-lost friend whose existence seems rather elusive.

Director: Rajkumar Hirani is an Indian �lm director, �lm producer, screenwriter,

distributor and �lm editor. Hirani has directed �ve Hindi �lms, including Munna

Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003), Lage Raho Munnabhai (2006), 3 Idiots (2009), PK (2014) and

Sanju (2018), and all of which have been commercial and critical successes. He has

won 3 National Film Awards.

Directorate of Film FestivalsMinistry of Information & Broadcasting

Government of India

Department of InformationUT Ladakh

Photo courtesy for Ladakh region: Phuntsog Angchuk, Dorjey Angdus, Feroz Hussain, Iftikhar Hussain, Tohir Hussain

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