Nepali speculative drama Shirjara seeks final financing at Tokyo market

Director Bikash Subedi has completed principal photography on the Nepali speculative drama Shirjara: Song of Grandmother, Variety reported. The production team is present at the Tokyo Gap-Financing Market seeking to secure its final 44,000 dollars in funding. The project is aiming to secure a festival premiere at Cannes next year. [1]

According to Variety, the feature contrasts traditional Himalayan culture with the modern development of artificial intelligence. The story structures its narrative around a grandmother's traditional stories set against the contemporary rise of technology. The project moves between the high Himalayas and modern technological environments. [1]

The project is presenting its commercial pitch to international financiers as part of the Tokyo market session. Modern film markets are increasingly navigating new technology, with TIFFCOM managing director Kaori Ikeda separately noting to The Hollywood Reporter that artificial intelligence continues to shift the broader entertainment landscape. [1][3]

The production team is leveraging the Tokyo platform to close its remaining financing gap before entering final post-production. Securing the remaining budget will enable the project to complete technical delivery in time for festival submissions next year, according to Variety. [1]