Himalaya Film and Cultural Festival

I´m very grateful to Ellie who points me in the direction of the Himalaya Film and Cultural Festival running from 28 January to 12 February 2010. It celebrates the rich and varied cultures of the world’s mightiest mountain range with film, music, art and photography.

The Himalaya stretch for thousands of miles, encompassing forests, deserts, snowy peaks and vibrant cities, and a huge diversity of peoples and cultures live on their slopes and in their valleys.

Our film programme reflects this diversity with films from Afghanistan, Bhutan, Burma, China, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Tibet. Some are classics, others are being shown for the first time in the UK. We also explore the Himalaya through the still image with exhibitions of art and photography from a range of international artists, and taste the music of the region, with live performances from musicians traditional and modern.

The UK is home to one of the biggest Himalayan diaspora communities outside of South Asia, but apart from a few well-known symbols and stories, this important area has a low profile in this country, and remains a mystery to many. Therefore, our central aims in organising the Festival are:
• to reach and captivate a wide audience, introducing them to Himalayan film, music, art and photography.
• to raise awareness and visibility of Himalayan countries and cultures in London and the UK
to celebrate the cultural ties between Himalayan diaspora communities, encouraging solidarity and fostering a sense of the Himalaya as a region
• to create a platform for Himalayan and related artists to showcase their work in London.

Himalaya Festival is not run for profit, and any surplus after costs will be donated to our charity partner, the Rescue Foundation. We hope the Festival will allow as many people as possible to experience the beauty and rich heritage of the Himalaya.

Not much time left to get there, but i can´t resist it.