The Himalaya are the world's mightiest mountain range, and form the backbone of Asia. Many cultures meet here and a huge diversity of people make a living on the mountains' slopes and in their valleys. The Himalaya Film & Cultural Festival runs from 28 January to 12 February in various venues across London. It is the first festival in the UK to bring together film, music, art and photography from Afghanistan, Bhutan, Burma, China, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Tibet.

Taran Wilkhu, Director of Projects, explains the rationale behind this celebration of mountain life: "People in the UK have heard of the Himalaya but a lot of the region's coverage is based on a few well-worn stories like Mount Everest and the Gurkhas?the Himalaya are much more diverse than
that. With large communities from Afghanistan, Kashmir, Nepal and other parts of the Himalaya living in the UK, we wanted to raise awareness of life and culture in the region beyond the usual stereotypes."

Nepalis in London will get the opportunity to sample rich and varied fare from their homeland too, with the UK premiere of Bhusan Dahal's Kagbeni, hailed by many as the best Nepali film yet made, on 7 February. There are also fine art exhibitions from Govinda 'Sah' Azad and 'Tene' Garbuja from Nepal.

For more information, visit www.himalayafest.org.uk. The Himalaya Festival is not run for profit, and any proceeds will be donated to the Rescue Foundation.

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