Who We Are
The Kathmandu Doc Lab is an initiative by the kimff Foundation dedicated to strengthening the documentary ecosystem in South Asia. Our mission is to move beyond the single event and build a year-round hub that nurtures the region’s most urgent, untold narratives.
A Fantastic Inaugural Year!
Kathmandu Doc Lab launched in May 2025 with 9 projects from across South Asia. The projects were mentored by a team of three extraordinary South Asian filmmakers: Anam Abbas from Pakistan, Arun Bhattarai from Bhutan and Rintu Thomas from India.
The filmmakers pitched their projects to an audience in Kathmandu and later online to 20+ industry reps from around the world. Click below to learn more about our first edition.
2026 Kathmandu Doc Lab
The second Kathmandu Doc Lab ran from 22 to 27 May 2026. Nine projects from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Pakistan spent six days with mentors Anam Abbas, Arun Bhattarai and Sarvnik Kaur, pitched live in Kathmandu, then pitched online to international industry.
Partners
Supported By
Kathmandu Doc Lab 2026 is supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). It is further supported by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Institut Français, as part of the strategy to promote the international export of Cultural and Creative Industries.