January 19-25, 2024 | Cinema Village | New York, NY

Andrea spent fifteen years in the corporate sector before joining the Board of Directors with the Follow Your Dream Foundation in 2009. She is the Associate Producer of PASANG: In the Shadow of Everest. Andrea earned a bachelor’s degree in Government from St. Lawrence University and is delighted to be joined at the Cinema Village screening for a very special evening with long-time friends, Julie and Nick Stevenson, also St. Lawrence graduates.

Sanjeev M. Sherchan is the executive director of Asia Society’s Global Initiatives Group in New York. He began his career at the Asia Society in 2000 with a specific concentration on South Asia programming. Before returning to the U.S. for graduate studies in 1998, he worked for PLAN International-Makwanpur in Nepal. Sanjeev is a member of the Board of KTK-BELT, INC., a non-profit organization that seeks to catalyze new models of biodiversity conservation and environmental learning in eastern Nepal.

Preeti Adhikary is the founder of The Great Nepali Diaspora, a non-profit community of exceptional global Nepali talent that aims to nurture connection, collaboration, and camaraderie. In less than two years, this community has grown to over 2,000 members, 47 chapters, and hosted 80 events, She holds a Master of Advanced Management from Yale School of Management and an MBA from the University of British Columbia. With over 17 years of diverse experience in tech startups, banking, and nonprofits, Preeti is passionate about creating and supporting community-driven ventures that have a positive social and economic impact.

Passang Nima Sherpa,  the President of the US Nepal Climbers Association will be giving opening remarks on Saturday prior to Khyber Jone’s Q&A with Director, Nancy Svendsen after the 5pm screening

Khyber Jones is a filmmaker based in New York City. He got his start at the Brooklyn-based production company Public Record, working for several talented directors making docs and branded commercials. Since then he has been working as a freelance cinematographer and has enjoyed collaborating on feature documentaries, commercials, and music videos amongst other creative projects for the past 10+ years. He is currently working on a feature-length documentary about paleoclimate research, following men and women in the field around the globe quite literally digging into the earth’s past to better understand our future on this planet.

Prarthana Gurung will moderate the Q&A at 7 ᵖᵐ and will give opening remarks at the 9 ᵖᵐ screening.
Prarthana Gurung is a first-generation Nepali American, born and raised in the South, and currently works as Adhikaar.’s Director of Campaigns & Communications. Adhikaar (meaning ‘rights’ in Nepali) is a women-led community and workers’ center based in Woodside, New York. Adhikaar provides direct services to the Nepali-speaking community and organizes low-income workers and impacted community members to promote social justice and human rights for all. Prarthana has worked within various issue-based movements on a national to local scale, including immigration, workers’ rights, environmental justice, violence against indigenous women and girls, and public health.  She is a first-generation daughter of Nepali immigrants, born and raised in the South. She currently serves as the Campaigns & Communications Manager at Adhikaar. Prarthana has worked within various issue-based movements on a national and state level, including anti-fracking, violence against indigenous women and girls, indigenous land rights, DREAMers, and public health.

Lisa Hurwitz is the Director of the award-winning feature-length documentary, The Automat about the historic Horn and Hardart restaurants featuring Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Colin Powell, Howard Shulz, and Elliot Gould. Her film is now available to watch on Max and other TVOD platforms like Amazon Prime video. Her company, a Slice of Pie Productions is the theatrical distributor of PASANG: In the Shadow of Everest.

Subeksha is a Nepalese celebrity with over 250,000 organic followers on Instagram @subeksha.khadka. She was crowned Miss Nepal International 2012 & World Miss University Nepal 2017. Besides being a media personality who has worked in Kantipur TV, News 24 TV, and ECS Media, she is a freelancer host, model, actor, and businesswoman. Her first movie, Ranveer, was released in 2017, and her second movie, Prema, was released in early 2023. She is on the Board of Child Reach Nepal, which focuses on children’s education in Nepal.

With a microphone in hand and a heart for humanity, Suresh Shahi paints vibrant portraits of life. As editor of Khasokhas and NepYork, he champions the stories of Nepalis in the USA, drawing on his multifaceted expertise in broadcasting, journalism, and customer service advocacy. From anchoring news in Nepal to engaging audiences in New York, Suresh has spent over a decade weaving narratives that bridge cultures and break barriers. He believes in the power of storytelling to create connections, celebrate diversity, and build a more inclusive world.

Suresh Shahi will be moderating the Q&A at 7ᵖᵐ and give opening remarks at 9ᵖᵐ.
Note: there will be no Q&A with Nancy Svendsen after the 9ᵖᵐ screening.

Mr. Pradeep Pariyar Thapa is brand consultant, journalist and IT professional. He has 33 years of print and digital media experience in Nepal and USA and 22 years of web development, digital branding experience in Nepal, India, and USA. Currently, he is the Editor-in-Chief of www.nepalism .com and IT Consultant at Hudson Speaks Against Sexual Violence. He is also founding President of Nepali Media Alliance USA, founder of Nepal Pledge, founding General Secretary of Nepali Diaspora Alliance USA, and founder of USA Agro Farm.

Angela is the President of the Network of Sherpa Students and Professionals, which is a sub-organization of the United Sherpa Association and is dedicated to the educational and professional development of the Sherpa community.

Cheryl Klauss will be a guest speaker about the film on Wednesday, January 24th at 7ᵖᵐ. Note: There will be no Q&A with Director, Nancy Svendsen at this screening.

About Cheryl: Cheryl is an ardent admirer of mountains, oceans, wildlife, and nature. Having retired from a distinguished career as a magazine photographer and professor of photography at Semester at Sea, Cheryl’s commitment to the craft remains unwavering, capturing compelling images daily. As a seasoned globetrotter and activist, she is deeply committed to various causes, particularly advocating for women in science and exploration. Over the past twenty-five years, she has cultivated meaningful connections with the Sherpa community establishing enduring relationships, including with Dawa Sherpa, and as a supporter of the film since it’s inception.