Documentary Pankouri Will Appear in Nepal Film Festival
The Bangladeshi film about life on the Karatoya River is scheduled to screen at the Lumbini International Film Festival.
Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Documentary
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The documentary Pankouri, which captures the lives and livelihoods along the Karatoya River, will be featured at the upcoming Lumbini International Film Festival. The event will take place in Tansen, Palpa, Nepal, from 8 October to 10 October 2026.
Why it matters
The documentary highlights the human relationship with nature through the story of Mujibur Rahman, a man who spent 55 years collecting stones from the river. Its inclusion in multiple regional festivals marks continued critical recognition for the 18-minute film.
Pankouri has a runtime of 18 minutes and 17 seconds and previously secured Best Documentary honors at the 2025 Our Films Shorts Fest and the 2025 Chattogram International Documentary Festival.
The players
Zafar Muhammad
He is the director of the documentary Pankouri who was invited to attend the upcoming festival in Nepal.
Mujibur Rahman
He was the primary subject of the documentary who spent 55 years collecting stones from the Karatoya River before his death.
The details
Filmed between 2019 and 2025, the documentary chronicles the legacy of Mujibur Rahman, who dedicated over five decades to gathering stones from the Karatoya River in Bangladesh. The project reached completion following the death of Rahman during the post-production process.
Timeline
Filming for the documentary occurred from 2019 to 2025.
The film earned awards at the Our Films and Chattogram festivals in 2025.
The documentary gained selections for the Kolkata and Kerala festivals in 2026.
The Lumbini International Film Festival is scheduled for 8 October to 10 October 2026.
Industry Dynamics
The documentary's festival circuit trajectory follows the pattern set by its success at the 2025 Chattogram International Documentary Festival. It signals a growing international interest in regional non-fiction works that document vanishing local traditions and human histories.
Audiences attending the festival in Tansen will have the opportunity to view this short-format work during the event window. Those unable to attend can track future screening announcements for the film through its ongoing festival circuit run.
The takeaway
The recognition of Pankouri underscores the enduring impact of personal narratives in documentary filmmaking. Even at a short duration, human-focused stories can bridge cultural divides and gain international visibility through the festival circuit.
Further reading
Learn more about the craft and distribution of independent non-fiction cinema in our Documentary section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Daily Times Of Bangladesh.
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