2nd Kathmandu Horror Film Fest Opens with Grand Ceremony at Russian House

EDUCAST, The second edition of the Kathmandu Horror Film Fest (KHFF 2026) officially kicked off today with a grand inauguration ceremony held at the Russian House in Kamal Pokhari, Kathmandu. Organized by the Nepal Film and Cultural Academy (NFCA) alongside venue partner Russian House Kathmandu, supporting partner Cinemakers, and ticketing partner IME Khalti, the three-day festival brings together genre filmmakers and cinema enthusiasts from around the world. The formal session commenced with an introduction by the Master of Ceremonies, followed by a ceremonial lamp lighting by key dignitaries to mark the official opening of the event.

Mr. Manish Pandit, Chairperson of the Film Development Board (FDB), graced the event as the Chief Guest. He was joined by a distinguished assembly of international diplomats and local film leaders, including Mr. Yasuharu Shinto (Deputy Chief of Mission, Japanese Embassy), Ms. Anastasia Khokhlova (Director of Russian House Kathmandu), Mr. Sergio FC Couto (Counsellor, Brazilian Embassy), Mr. Waqas Ahmed (First Secretary for Press & Culture, Pakistan Embassy), Mr. Rewati Sapkota (Communication Registrar of Bagmati Province), Mr. K.P. Pathak (Chairperson, NFCA), Mr. Uttam KC (Chairperson, Nepal Artists’ Association), and Mr. Gopal Kaji Kayastha (Vice Chairperson, Nepal Motion Picture Association).

During the ceremony, Ms. Anastasia Khokhlova delivered the welcome address, followed by a keynote address from Chief Guest Mr. Manish Pandit. The inaugurals were complemented by cultural and musical interludes, featuring a classical piano solo of Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and Igor Kornelyuk’s theme from The Master and Margarita performed by pianist Sarthak Manandhar of the Nepal-Russian Youth Club, alongside a traditional Nepali Lakhey Dance.

Festival Director Mr. Rashik Pathak offered the closing remarks and introduced the festival’s opening feature, In This Darkness I See You. Directed by Nadim Tabet, the 85-minute psychological thriller—a co-production between Lebanon, France, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia—explores tensions between Syrian workers and Lebanese villagers on a construction site believed to be haunted. Running through November 1, the festival features a dense schedule of international horror short blocks and feature films, concluding with its awards and closing ceremony on Sunday evening.