Min Bahadur Bham
Min Bahadur Bham is a distinguished filmmaker at the vanguard of Nepal’s "New Wave" cinema, whose work is characterized by a quiet devotion to the authentic spirit of the Himalayas. His creative vision is deeply informed by his multi-disciplinary academic background, holding a bachelor’s degree in literature and Filmmaking, a master’s degree in political science and Buddhist Philosophy, and he is currently a Doctoral candidate in Visual Anthropology.
His cinematic journey began with the short film The Flute (2012), which achieved the milestone of being the first Nepali film to screen at the Venice Film Festival. His debut feature, The Black Hen (2015), received the FEDEORA Best Film Award at Venice and was selected as Nepal’s official entry for the Academy Awards. His second feature, SHAMBHALA (2024), made history as the first South Asian film in four decades to compete for the Golden Bear at the Berlinale. It further distinguished itself as the first Nepali film to grace Locarno’s Piazza Grande, where it received the Cultural Diversity Award at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards and marked his second submission to the Oscars.
Beyond his personal filmography, Min is a dedicated mentor and producer committed to nurturing emerging voices across Nepal, Hong Kong, and broader Asia. His collaborative efforts as a producer have been honored at major festivals, including Venice, Berlin, San Sebastian, Rotterdam, and Busan. He frequently serves the global cinematic community as a jury member, script consultant, and mentor in international labs spanning from Korea and Kazakhstan to the United States. He was invited to serve as a Jury Member for the Main Competition at the Berlin International Film Festival, 2026.
Currently, he is developing his 3rd feature film, The Last Stanza of Breath.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Bansulli (The Flute) | Venice Horizons YouTube Award – Nominated | [1] |
| 2015 | Serdhak(The Golden Hill) | Short Film Competition at 69th Venice International Film Festival
Selected in 20+ film festivals, winning 8 awards |
|
| 2015 | The Black Hen | National Film Award for Best Writer – Won National Film Award for Best Movie – Won Venice Film Festival's Fedeora Award – Won |
[2][3] |
| 2016 | JHALO(Year of the Bird) | ||
| 2019 | A Year of Cold | Cannes Film Festival's Norwegian Sorfond Award | [4][5] |
| 2024 | Shambhala | Berlin International Film Festival's Golden Bear – Nominated MAMI Mumbai Film Festival's South Asia Competition – Nominated Official Nepalese entry for Best International Feature Film for 97th Academy Awards |
[6][7][8] |
| 2026 | Elephants in the fog | under post production |
References
- ^ "Venice 2015: Critics' Week". Screen. Archived from the original on 2021-05-29. Retrieved 2021-05-29.
- ^ Kalo Pothi, archived from the original on 2021-05-29, retrieved 2021-05-29
- ^ Mayorga, Emilio (2018-08-07). "Locarno: Nepal's Min Bahadur Bham Presents 'A Year of Cold'". Variety. Archived from the original on 2021-05-29. Retrieved 2021-05-29.
- ^ "Min Bahadur Bham's 'A Year of Cold' wins Norwegian Award at Cannes". My City. Retrieved 2021-05-29.
- ^ "Min Bahadur Bham: Our film industry lacks creative producers who can invest more than money". The Kathmandu Post. Archived from the original on 2021-05-29. Retrieved 2021-05-29.
- ^ Abbatescianni, Davide (22 January 2024). "The Berlinale unveils its Competition and Encounters titles". Cineuropa. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
- ^ "MAMI Mumbai Film Festival Announces its 2024 Official Film Selections". The Hollywood Reporter India. Retrieved 2024-10-25.
- ^ "Nepali Movie 'Shambhala' will go to the 97th Oscars Award representing Nepal as confirmed by officials". Threads. September 13, 2024. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
External links