The Himalaya Film Festival (HFF) was officially started in 2003 in Amsterdam by Himalaya Archief Nederland, a Dutch NGO. The main objectives of HFF are:

1. Internationally introduce films related to the Himalayas
2. Foster people's understanding of the Himalayan region.

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To foster links with the Himalayan region, the festival is held in Tokyo in 2006, giving people a rare opportunity to take a closer look at the Himalayan world and to think about global environmental problems and human diversity.
(Himalaya Film Festival Tokyo 2006 (HFFT2006) official site)

In the end, it was quite successful with many audiences.

HFFT2006 also had a related symposium about global warming issue with Junichi Nishizawa (Chancellor of Tokyo Metropolitan University), Yuriko Koike (Minister of Ministry of the Environment(at that time)), a WWF staff, and others. This symposium was broadcast on NHK, the Japanese public broadcasting. In addition, Mr. Dhurba Basnet (Nepalese film director and one of the guests for the film festival) was introduced on the broadcasting.

In 2007, HFF was again held in Amsterdam. The main theme of the 2007 was "Mapping the Tibetan World." Since
Chinese invasion to Tibet in 1950s, Tibetan culture has had difficulty surviving. Especially now the railway from the mainland of China to Tibet (Lhasa) is laid down and the cultural crisis increases. Therefore, the theme was timely.

I think HFF project will progress with various specific themes from now on. As our Himalaya network with film directors, experts and others expands, we can create different related projects.

I truly hope to create a "Himalaya environment-culture movement" in the future.

Selected films from around the world attract more than 30,000 people to this 3-day annual festival. International producers and directors are invited to the festival. Through dialogue,and other filmmakers and the audience, they are given new opportunities for screening and ideas for future projects. I was invited to the 2004 festival and could get to know many asian directors and European people ("HFF"official site).