Kathmandu: Nepali cinema is poised for international recognition as three Nepali films have secured nominations at the upcoming Jinseo Arigato International Film Festival 2025, to be held on May 25 in Nagoya, Japan. The participation is being led by UNA Entertainment, a prominent distributor of Nepali films in Japan, marking their first entry into this global cinematic event.

The action drama ‘Pitamber’ has earned notable nominations in the action category.  Actor Saugat Malla has been nominated for Best Actor, Anoop Bikram Shahi for Breakthrough Performance, and Krisha Chaulagain for Best Director.

In the Drama Category, the film ‘Tel Visa’ has secured a Best Actor nomination for Bipin Karki, while Barsha Raut is up for Best Actress. Additionally, Salon Basnet has received a Best Actor nod for ‘Rangi,’ which is also competing for Best Film in the same category.

The festival will feature films from various countries. The organizer, UNA Entertainment, has been distributing Nepali films in Japan. Giving information about the festival, Ujjwal Guragain, head of UNA Entertainment, said, “This festival has been organized to further expand the market for Nepali films. Our team believes that this will help take Nepali films to the international level.”

He added, “It is our pride to be able to take Nepali films to international platforms like Japan with respect. This is just the beginning.” We will move forward with a firm resolve to make Nepali stories global. We have reached this point today with the support, trust and love of Nepali film lovers.