Nepali-language feature film JAAR, directed by Phurba Tshering Lama, has earned a major international honour after winning the Best Mountain Film Award at the Mestia International Short & Mountain Film Festival in Georgia.
Held in the mountain town of Mestia from July 29 to August 2, 2026, the festival selected JAAR for its Mountain Film Competition. According to the official programme, the 101-minute feature was screened on July 30 alongside films from Canada, Pakistan, Peru, Japan, Austria, Romania and other countries.
The award marks an important milestone for the film’s cast, crew, producers and supporters. It also brings renewed international attention to a story inspired by Nepali-language literature and shaped by Himalayan cultural memory.
Based on the work of acclaimed writer Indra Bahadur Rai, JAAR explores love, honour, social restrictions and survival within a traditional mountain community.
Set around 150 years ago, the story follows characters caught between personal desire and deeply rooted customs. At the centre of the conflict is a tradition that gives a husband the right to pursue and punish the man involved with his wife.
The film does not use the mountains merely as a picturesque backdrop. Its landscape is closely connected to the lives, customs and emotional struggles of the characters. This relationship between people, history and terrain makes the film’s recognition in a mountain-focused competition particularly meaningful.
JAAR stars Saugat Malla, Geetanjali Thapa and Anoop Bikram Shahi in the lead roles. Malla portrays Rudraman, Thapa plays Thuli, and Shahi appears as Harshajit.
Phurba Tshering Lama adapted the screenplay and directed the feature.
The film’s performances and visual treatment also drew attention following its theatrical release. A review published by The Rising Nepal praised the adaptation for retaining the spirit of Rai’s literary work while transforming its central conflict into a cinematic experience. The review also highlighted the film’s performances, music and atmospheric cinematography.
Following the festival honour, the filmmakers dedicated the award to the actors, technicians, co-producers and supporters who contributed to the production.
The Mestia International Short & Mountain Film Festival is organised in Georgia’s Svaneti region, an area internationally recognised for its dramatic Caucasus landscape and mountain heritage.
Founded by the Mestia Center of Culture and Arts and filmmaker-producer Khatuna Khundadze, the festival presents mountain-themed feature films alongside an international short-film competition.
For JAAR, the award strengthens its international festival profile and shows how stories emerging from Nepali literature and mountain communities can connect with audiences beyond South Asia.
At the time of reporting, the festival’s website had not published a clearly accessible complete list of its 2026 winners. Information regarding the award is based on the announcement shared by the film team.
