November 2, 2026 
Kathmandu: The second edition of the Kathmandu Horror Film Fest (KHFF) concluded on Sunday, November 1, at Russian House Kathmandu with the screening of the closing film and an award ceremony.
Despite unfavorable weather conditions, the three-day festival witnessed an encouraging audience turnout, with halls filled during screenings of horror and genre films from Nepal and various countries around the world.
In the competition category, Nepali short film ‘KNAR’, directed by Akash Dhimal, won the Audience Award for Best Short Film. The award was selected through audience voting from a total of 18 short films in competition.
Similarly, ‘In This Darkness I See You’, directed by Nadim Tabet, received the Audience Award for Best Feature Film. The film, a co-production of France, Lebanon, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, was selected from six competing feature films.
For the first time, the festival determined its winners directly through audience ballot-box voting following each screening.
The closing film was ‘Aisha Can’t Fly Away’, directed by Morad Mostafa. The 120-minute film is a co-production of Egypt, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia. It follows the struggles of Aisha, a 26-year-old African immigrant caregiver living in Cairo’s Ain Shams neighborhood, where gang control and tensions between Egyptian residents and African migrants shape everyday life.
The closing ceremony was attended by Chief Guest Brajesh Khanal, Chancellor of the Nepal Academy of Music and Drama; Rinchen Rakshaev, Minister Counsellor and Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Nepal; former minister Ganesh Shah; Anastasia Khokhlova, Director of Russian House Kathmandu; and K.P. Pathak, Chairperson of the Nepal Film and Cultural Academy (NFCA).
Addressing the ceremony, Khanal appreciated the initiative to promote horror and genre cinema in Nepal. Rakshaev and Khokhlova also highlighted the importance of strengthening cultural exchange between Nepal and Russia through cinema. Certificates of appreciation were presented to festival volunteers and supporters for their contributions.
The second edition featured 26 films from 21 countries, selected through an international open call. The lineup included eight feature films and 18 short films. Five of the selected films were Nepali productions or co-productions, including the Nepal-Australia collaborative feature ‘Mokshya’.
The festival’s opening ceremony on October 30 was attended by diplomatic representatives from Japan, Brazil, Pakistan, France and Russia, reflecting its growing role as a platform for international cultural exchange.
Festival Director Rashik Pathak said the second edition demonstrated the growing interest of Nepali audiences in genre cinema. He noted that horror films provide filmmakers with a powerful medium to explore folklore, society and identity. He also expressed his commitment to continuing the festival as a platform for Nepali filmmakers working in horror and genre storytelling.
The Kathmandu Horror Film Fest 2026 was organized by the Nepal Film and Cultural Academy (NFCA), with Russian House Kathmandu as the venue partner, Cinemakers as the supporting partner and IME Khalti as the ticketing partner.
