‘Umbrella Over the Lamb’ wins top honor at Short Film Development Lab 2026

At the inaugural Short Film Development Lab 2026, Umbrella Over the Lamb, written and directed by Alin Katel and produced by Asmit Ghimire, emerged as the top winner, securing the Chalachitra Lab Production Grant worth NRs 300,000 as the five-day mentorship program wrapped up in Kathmandu.

Umbrella Over the Lamb, written and directed by Alin Katel and produced by Asmit Ghimire, has won the Chalachitra Lab Production Grant worth NRs 300,000 at the inaugural Short Film Development Lab 2026.

Organised jointly by Chalachitra Lab and the Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival (KIMFF), the lab concluded on Saturday after a five-day mentorship program for emerging Nepali filmmakers that began on May 25. Five selected projects participated in intensive workshops focused on script development, project packaging, and pitching.

The KIMFF Production Support Award, carrying a cash prize of NRs 200,000, was awarded to Kaakha, directed by Nishan Khatri and produced by Sharmila KC. The project also received the Lightbenders Technical Support Award.

The Voices of Women Media Award, worth NRs 100,000, went to Where I Stand, directed by Divya Adhikari and produced by Sanjima Jugjali Pun. The project additionally secured the Camera Production In-Kind Award from Gyan Cine Art.

Meanwhile, Umbrella Over the Lamb received further support through the RP Post-Production Grant.

The Short Film Development Lab was launched to support Nepali short films at the development stage, offering mentorship from industry professionals and opportunities to connect with producers, distributors, and investors. Organisers said the initiative aims to strengthen Nepal’s independent filmmaking sector and help promising projects reach international audiences.