Hon’ble Lt Governor Brig (Dr) BD Mishra (Retd) inaugurates The Himalayan Film Festival 2023.

Leh, Sept 29, 2023: The Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Brigadier (Dr) BD Mishra (Retd), inaugurated the second edition of The Himalayan Film Festival (THFF) 2023 organised by the Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), UT Ladakh in collaboration with LAHDC Leh and supported by Film and Television Federation of Ladakh (FTFL), at the Sindhu Sanskriti Kendra (SSK), Leh.
Stating that THFF 2023 encompasses everything related to art and culture, the HLG stated that The Himalayan Film Festival is a good platform for local filmmakers to showcase their talent and commended the organisers and people involved in organising the event. Terming Ladakhi youth as talented, the HLG also stated that our youth can replace Bollywood actors by showcasing their rich acting and film-directing talent through platforms such as THFF. He also shared the UT Administration’s vision to promote Ladakhi youth in the field of acting, singing and film directing.
Stating that he is ready to support projects related to art and culture, the HLG stated that he had given his consent to the Fashion Runway at Umling La, the highest motorable road in the world- when the Chairman of LAHDC Leh proposed the project to him but only after instructing the CEC to follow precautionary measures such as proper acclimatisation of the Miss Universes, Miss Worlds and Miss Earths from across the world participating in the event.
Reiterating the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi ji’s goal of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat, the HLG informed about the plan to celebrate the UT Foundation Day on October 31 on a grand scale by sending troupes comprising Ladakhi boys and girls to different states and UTs of India to showcase Ladakh’s rich culture and heritage. The initiative, the HLG stated, would also provide the much-needed exposure to Ladakhi youth and help them imbibe traits such as good thoughts and actions.
The HLG launched the THFF 2023 brochure along with LAHDC Leh’s The Carnival of Festivals: September- A month of Festivals highlighting a series of events to be held in the month of September from next year onwards.
Chairman, LAHDC Leh, Shri Tashi Gyalson, stated that THFF was an initiative towards providing a platform for local filmmakers and people from the film fraternity to exhibit their talent. He shared that earlier the local filmmakers despite being immensely talented lacked a proper platform to showcase their talent but that gap has now been filled by THFF. He expressed happiness over seeing filmmakers, who got the chance to showcase their works in the last edition of THFF, shining in their fields.
Shri Gyalson also highlighted that one of the objectives of THFF was to attract tourists to this Trans-Himalayan region. He requested the HLG for a lucrative package to attract filmmakers to shoot their films in Ladakh. He shared initiatives to promote rural tourism, including the Fashion Runway at Umling La.
Earlier, Commissioner Secretary, Information Department, Smt Padma Angmo informed that 40 films, including 14 from Ladakh, would be screened during the five-day event. She also informed that screenwriters lab, photography workshop and short film competition were conducted as part of THFF 2023 while Masterclasses by top professionals in the field of filmmaking would be part of the five-day event.
Joint Director, Information Department, Imteeaz Ahmed Khan, gave the vote of thanks.
Last Days of Summer- a short film by Ladakhi filmmaker Stenzin Tankong and Jaane Jaan- a feature film by Sujoy Ghosh- were screened on the opening day.
Chairman, LAHDC Leh, Shri Tashi Gyalson; Advisor to HLG, Dr Pawan Kotwal; ADGP Ladakh Police, Dr SD Singh Jamwal; Departmental Secretaries; Councillors; Heads of Departments; film critic Smt Anupama Chopra; head of political and religious organisations; officials from Indian Army, Ladakh Police; filmmakers from Himalayan States/UTs, including Ladakh; Miss Universes, Miss Worlds and Miss Earths from across the world; volunteers from FTFL; award winners and district officials were among the guests present during the opening ceremony of THFF 2023.