KATHMANDU: Filmmaker Min Bahadur Bham, director of Shambhala, has been appointed to the International Jury of the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, marking a major milestone for Nepali cinema.

Bham will serve on the Main Competition jury of the world-renowned Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), which is one of the most prestigious (and public) film festivals in the world.

The jury is led by acclaimed German director Wim Wenders and includes members from South Korea, India, Japan, the United States, Poland, and Nepal.

Bham earlier made history when Shambhala became the first Nepali film selected for Berlinale’s main competition.

The appointment came at a pivotal personal moment. Bham was in the final stages of preparing to contest a direct parliamentary election from the Nepali Congress.

After receiving the Berlinale invitation by email nearly three months ago, he held the offer while consulting party leaders, including Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma. Until the final day of ticket distribution, he was weighing potential constituencies in Kathmandu.

Ultimately, Bham decided to defer electoral politics and accept the jury role, calling it the biggest achievement of his career and a rare opportunity for Nepal’s global cultural presence. He will travel to Berlin on February 9.