You know, sometimes the universe really throws you a curveball. For Min Bahadur Bham, that curveball just happened to land on the red carpet of the Berlinale. The critically hailed Nepali filmmaker—yes, that Bham—has officially been named a member of the International Jury for the 76th Berlin International Film Festival in 2026.
It’s not just a win for him personally. This is monumental. From where I stand, he’s arguably the first Nepali director ever to hold a jury seat at a top-tier, A-list festival. Imagine that—Nepal, staking its claim on cinema’s global stage. Pretty wild, right?
Bham took to social media, naturally, and his words were, well, heartfelt but humble—no red-carpet bravado here. “To stand alongside a titan like Wim Wenders,” he wrote, “is an honour beyond my wildest dreams.” And he didn’t stop at name-dropping—he acknowledged the weight of the role, nodding respectfully to cinema legends like Aamir Khan, who once walked this very Berlinale jury path back in 2011. Humble, but clearly aware that history has its eyes on him.
Meanwhile, back home, Dinesh DC, chairman of the Film Development Board, couldn’t hide his pride. He called Bham’s appointment a “historic milestone” for Nepali cinema, a badge not just for the filmmaker but for the country’s cultural identity at large. And yes, it’s true—the recognition doesn’t just land in Kathmandu; it’s a marker of Nepal’s growing creative footprint worldwide.
For the 2026 festival, Berlinale fans can look forward to legendary German director Wim Wenders presiding over the jury. Alongside him, a diverse and international mix: South Korea’s Bae Doona, India’s Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, Reinaldo Marcus Green from the U.S., Japan’s Hikari, Poland’s Ewa Puszczyńska, and, of course, Nepal’s own Min Bahadur Bham. Quite the lineup.
If you’ve been following Bham’s journey, none of this comes out of the blue. His 2024 film Shambhala—which nabbed Best Film at Nepal’s National Film Awards—had its world premiere in Berlin. But the roots go deeper. Berlinale’s official page highlights his 2012 short, The Flute, as Nepal’s first entry at Venice. His debut, The Black Hen in 2015, not only bagged the FEDEORA Best Film Award at Venice but also became Nepal’s first Oscar contender. Fast forward to Shambhala—it made history as the first Nepali film vying for the Golden Bear at Berlinale, played Locarno’s Piazza Grande, clinched the Asia Pacific Screen Awards’ Cultural Diversity Award, and became his second Oscar submission.
So yeah, it’s not just a moment for Bham—it’s a statement. Nepal is here, quietly but firmly, and it’s not going anywhere. And honestly? I can’t help but grin a little thinking about how far this journey has come—from a small Himalayan country to rubbing shoulders with cinema titans in Berlin.
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