Born in Saptari, Nepal
Deepak Rauniyar
दीपक रौनियार
Director of Highway and White Sun, the first Nepali films to screen at the Berlin and Venice film festivals
About
Deepak Rauniyar made his first feature film, Highway, in 2012, with very little money. It became the first Nepali film to screen at a major international festival, the Berlinale in Berlin. This helped start a new wave of Nepali films that looked closely at life after the civil war.
His next film, White Sun (2016), premiered at the Venice and Toronto film festivals. It received strong reviews. It won the Interfilm Award at Venice. Nepal chose it as its official submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. Because of this film, The New York Times named Rauniyar one of its new directors to watch.
He continues to make films shown around the world. His film Pooja, Sir premiered at Venice in 2024.
Quick facts
- Born
- 1978-08-29
- Birthplace
- Saptari, Nepal
- Profession
- Film director, Screenwriter, Producer
- Nationality
- Nepal
- Status
- Alive
Career & life timeline
- 1978
- 2012
His debut feature Highway premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival, a first for Nepali cinema
- 2016
White Sun premiered at the Venice and Toronto film festivals and won the Interfilm Award at Venice
- 2017
White Sun was selected as Nepal's submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar
- 2024
Presented his film Pooja, Sir at the Venice International Film Festival
Achievements
First Nepali film at a major international festival
2012Highway premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival
Interfilm Award, Venice Film Festival
2016For White Sun
Named one of "The 9 New Directors You Need to Watch"
By The New York Times
Last updated: 2026-09-06