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Tell Your Own Story

We started Shikshya Foundation Nepal more than a decade ago with an aim to support unique initiatives in the field of education and arts because we believe that education with emphasis on art, in and outside of the classroom, creates a more empathetic society. We have collaborated with talented Nepali creatives whose voices and stories forever have impacted the world we live in.

Shikshya Foundation Nepal, in collaboration with The Embassy of the United States of America in Nepal and Global Media Makers, supported a short film screenwriting workshop “Tell Your Own Story” designed to provide a platform for marginalized voices which focused on female storytellers from Madhesh Pradesh. Seventeen participants were selected for the initial virtual sessions, out of which eight female storytellers made their way into the residency program where they learned to transform their personal experiences into a short film screenplay.

The film industry has long been dominated by men, making it challenging for women storytellers to break through. However, this struggle is even more pronounced for the women of Madhesh Pradesh (Southeastern province of Nepal which borders India) who face various forms of marginalization in our society. Despite having a rich artistic and literary heritage that has contributed greatly to Nepali culture, their experiences and perspectives as women in our society are often silenced and relegated to secondary roles in someone else’s story, with their narratives frequently ignored or overlooked.

The 12 day workshop provided a platform for the participants to write a short film script based on their personal experiences and learn the structure of short film script writing. With the technical skills they need to create compelling screenplays, our hope is that their unique stories will be on the forefront inspiring change in the film industry.

The workshop mentors were Sampada Malla, Shivani Singh Tharu, Anbika Giri, Sarita Shah, Muna Gurung, Abinash Bikramm Shah, Nabin Subba, Deepak Rauniyar, Pravesh Gurung, Keshab Pandey and Sudam CK.

We started Shikshya Foundation Nepal more than a decade ago with an aim to support unique initiatives in the field of education and arts because we believe that education with emphasis on art, in and outside of the classroom, creates a more empathetic society. We have collaborated with talented Nepali creatives whose voices and stories forever have impacted the world we live in.

Shikshya Foundation Nepal, in collaboration with The Embassy of the United States of America in Nepal and Global Media Makers, supported a short film screenwriting workshop “Tell Your Own Story” designed to provide a platform for marginalized voices which focused on female storytellers from Madhesh Pradesh. Seventeen participants were selected for the initial virtual sessions, out of which eight female storytellers made their way into the residency program where they learned to transform their personal experiences into a short film screenplay.

The film industry has long been dominated by men, making it challenging for women storytellers to break through. However, this struggle is even more pronounced for the women of Madhesh Pradesh (Southeastern province of Nepal which borders India) who face various forms of marginalization in our society. Despite having a rich artistic and literary heritage that has contributed greatly to Nepali culture, their experiences and perspectives as women in our society are often silenced and relegated to secondary roles in someone else’s story, with their narratives frequently ignored or overlooked.

The 12 day workshop provided a platform for the participants to write a short film script based on their personal experiences and learn the structure of short film script writing. With the technical skills they need to create compelling screenplays, our hope is that their unique stories will be on the forefront inspiring change in the film industry.

The workshop mentors were Sampada Malla, Shivani Singh Tharu, Anbika Giri, Sarita Shah, Muna Gurung, Abinash Bikramm Shah, Nabin Subba, Deepak Rauniyar, Pravesh Gurung, Keshab Pandey and Sudam CK.