Sikkimese filmmaker Tribeny Rai’s ‘Shape of Momo’ wows audiences at San Sebastián Film Festival

Sikkimese filmmaker Tribeny Rai made a remarkable European debut with her Nepali-language feature film, Shape of Momo, at the prestigious San Sebastián Film Festival. 

The 114-minute film, which explores the lives of women negotiating societal norms across generations, received a standing ovation from the audience, celebrating both the director and the cast.

Rai attended the premiere alongside lead actors Gaumaya Gurung and Shyama Shree Sherpa, and music composer Mikhail Achik Arak. “It’s surreal to watch a story rooted in my village and language receive such warmth from an international audience. Coming from a small Himalayan village, this moment is incredibly meaningful—not just for me, but for the stories and voices that often go unheard,” Rai said.

The film, shot in Rai’s native villages of Nandok and Assam Lingzey in East Sikkim, had its global premiere last week at the 2025 Busan International Film Festival, where it also garnered critical acclaim. International media described the debut as “a film that honours women whose strength changes the world in subtle but meaningful ways” and “a powerful film that listens closely to the hidden struggles of women living within the limits of tradition.”

Tribeny Rai, a graduate of the Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute, Kolkata, has previously won multiple awards for her short films. Shape of Momo marks her feature film debut and is seen as a milestone for Sikkimese and Himalayan storytelling on the global cinema stage.