Himalayan short film JAAR wins Best Mountain Film at Mestia festival in Georgia
Himalayan short film JAAR has won the Best Mountain Film award at the 6th Mestia International Short & Mountain Film Festival in Georgia. The film is directed,
Himalayan feature film JAAR has won the Best Mountain Film award at the 6th Mestia International Short & Mountain Film Festival (MIFF) held in Mestia, Georgia. The recognition adds to the film’s earlier success at international events.
The film is directed by Phurba Tshering Lama and is adapted from a short story by acclaimed Nepali author Indra Bahadur Rai. JAAR focuses on themes of love and honour, and looks at what tradition can demand, set against the wider landscape of the Himalayas.
Director dedicates the award to the full team
When accepting the award, Lama dedicated the honour to the film’s cast and crew, its co-producers, and supporters. He also credited Rai’s writing as the foundation for the adaptation, saying the story helped inspire the film’s creation and connects people through shared history, culture and the spirit of the mountains.
Producers said the MIFF jury included several international film personalities. They named Afghan filmmaker Siddiq Barmak, Turkish producer ElifDa?deviren, South Korean cinematographer Kim Hyung-Koo, French producer Guillaume de Seille, and Georgian animation director Mariam Kandelaki.
Earlier awards across India and Nepal
According to the producers, JAAR previously won Best Picture at the 6th Indic Film Utsav in Dallas, Texas. It also received Best Feature Film (South Asian Panorama) at the 9th Nepal International Film Festival (NIFF) in Kathmandu. The film is produced by Ferry Tale Pictures.
Producers described JAAR as more than a single project, saying it carries Rai’s literary legacy and highlights the voice of the Eastern Himalayas on festival platforms beyond the region. They said the film’s festival run continues, with each new recognition adding to its wider message through storytelling.
