Award Winning Film "Journey to Yarsa "A film by Dipendra Bhandari

Dipendra Bhandari follows the family of Punimaya Kami of Rolpa, heading up the Himalayan flanks in search of yarsagumba, the fungus-larvae prized in East Asia for its energising properties. The family joins the caravan of thousands of other yarsa hunters in an organised mass-mobilisation of villagers converging from many districts. As the trek proceeds up treacherous yet breath-taking trails, Journey to Yarsa, simultaneously reveals the struggle, hope, laughter, romance and resilience in the lives of the hill people who go to dig for survival every summer in the High Himal.

Names of various Awards that the Documentary has won:

“The Tareque Masud Best Debut Film Award”
Film South Asia 2011 Kathmandu, Nepal

“Audience Choice Award”
Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival
(KIMFF) 2011

“Audience Choice Award”
Toronto Nepali Film Festival 2012
Toronto, Canada

“Bansko Municipality Award”
Bansko International Mountain Film Festival 2012
Bansko City, Bulgaria

“Best Cultural Documentary”
New York International Film Festival – La Edition 2012
Los Angeles, USA

“Special Screening”
42 Tampere International Film Festival 2012
Finland

“Official Selection”
8th Al Jazeera International Documentary Film Festival 2012
Doha, Qatar

“Official Selection”
10th International Festival Signes de Nuit 2012
Paris, France

“Official Selection”
Doc Point \ International Documentary Film Festival 2013
Helsenki, Finland


“Official Selection”
First Silk Road Int’l Film Festival 2014
Xi’an, China

“Special Screening”
Rubin Musem of Art
New York, USA, 2015

“Official Selection”
Cultureunplugged Festival
2012