User:Leroy-W/sandbox

Ganesh Panday (born 1983) is an award winning Nepalese filmmaker and journalist. His most recent film about the devastating earthquakes in Nepal has won 15 International Awards.

Life and Career
Ganesh was born in the rural district of Lamjung, Nepal, where he began his journalism career. He completed his Bachelor’s degree at Marshyangdi Multiple Campus, where he studied Business Studies. He became interested in journalism due to the lack of justice and communication to citizens of Nepal facing inequality, especially women. He started his journalism career covering the civil war in Nepal, his passion here brought him to write for the popular national newspaper ‘Samacharpatra’ on a weekly basis. He also worked for Radio Nepal, bringing him onto the national stage for his humanitarian work. He would go on to become the first journalist from the Lamjung District to become a national figure. He would also become a news anchor and sub editor for Nepal 1 television and would join ABC television Kathmandu.

Ganesh was able to record some footage during the Maoists war in Nepal, to generate a voice for the victims, this would lead him to begin making documentary films. Ganesh produced ‘Antim Sandesh’, an award-winning documentary at the Kathmandu Human Rights Festival and Kathmandu Short Film Festival in 2012, which translates to ‘The Last Message’. Covering the disappearance of Nepalese people during the Civil War. He also produced ‘Marera Bachekaharu’, which translates to ‘The Resurrected’, which is about the tortured people during the Civil War, the portrayal of the dark side of the civil war and the suffering and torture of war-ridden people. These highlighted his name in the field of documentary making.

In 2015, Ganesh directed the documentary “Bhagyale Bachekaharu (Nepal Earthquake: Heroes, Survivors and Miracles)”, which screened at Wisconsin University and City University, New York, bringing global attention to his work. The documentary encompasses the stories of various survivors of the earthquake. Sonis Awal, a four-month-old, who was rescued alive 22 hours after being buried under the rubble of his five-story house. Babita Sedhai, who beat death despite falling down from Dharahara. Pemba Tamang, who was rescued after being trapped for 112 hours. Ninth grader Priya BK who lost her leg. Shiva Kumari Khaggi a 75-year-old lady who was rescued alive from the debris. Rishi Khanal who was rescued alive from the rubble after 4 days and drank his own urine to save his life.

The documentary features interviews from Armed Police Force Inspector, Laxman Basnet who rescued many people alive. Nepal Army’s Deepak Rai and Bikas KC, who rescued baby Sonis. National Poet Laureate Madhav Prasad Ghimire, who survived both the 1934 and 2015 earthquakes. The Miracle of Survival is a historical document that vividly portrays the horrifying picture of the devastating situation in Nepal caused by the April 2015 Earthquakes and the scars (physical and psychological) left to the Nepalese people. The film was shown at Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival, Shimla International Film Festival, Nashik International Film Festival, Edinburgh Nepali Film Festival, Noida International Film Festival, Vaasa Wildlife Nature Film Festival, Rajasthan International Film Festival, Cervino Cine Mountain Festival and the Houses of Parliament in London. The film has won 15 international awards and has been screened in over 32 countries.

Ganesh continues to make documentary films with his production company; Shine Media Pvt. Ltd and Editor of the popular online newspaper Dainik Nepal.

Films:

 * The Last Message (Heart Beaten Story of Disappeared People's Family)
 * The Resurrection (Painful Story of Tortured Victim of Nepal)
 * The Brave Sister (A sisters Relentless Struggle for Justice)
 * Miracle Survivals in Nepal Earthquake
 * Stop Torture
 * Lamjung Tourism
 * Nepalese struggle in Japan
 * Bhagyale Bachekaharu (Nepal Earthquake: Heroes, Survivors and Miracles)

Awards:

 * Best Documentary Award, Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival (KIMFF), December 2015
 * Public Choice Award, Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival (KIMFF), December 2015
 * Best Documentary Award, Shimla International Film Festival, India
 * Best International Documentary Award, Nashik International Film Festival, India
 * Best Documentary Award, Edinburgh Nepali Film Festival, UK
 * Best Documentary Jury Award, Noida International Film Festival, India
 * Jury Award, Vaasa Wildlife Nature Film Festival, Finland
 * Golden Phoenix Award, Malaysia
 * Dada Saheb Phalke Award, India (Nashik International Film Festival)
 * Best Documentary Award, Dhaka International Film Festival, Jan, 2017
 * Best Director Award, Rajasthan International Film Festival, Jan, 2017
 * Silver Bodhisanva Award, Bodhisanva International Film Festival, India, Feb, 2017
 * Best Documentary Award, Marietta International Film Festival, USA

References:

 * Wave Magazine Profile
 * Interview with Dainik Nepal
 * The Himalayan Times
 * Nepal Britain, Houses of Parliament
 * Kathmandu Post
 * Yahoo News
 * Advocacy Forum Nepal
 * International Organization for Migration