March 30, 2026
THIMPHU – Bhutan’s film industry, which is constrained by market and scale, is beginning to look outward. After successfully placing Bhutanese titles on global streaming platform Amazon Prime Video, Bezya Pictures, a boutique production house, has announced its expansion into international film distribution.
The company has now released two additional films – “Pig at the Crossing” directed by Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse and “With Love from Bhutan” produced by Wangchuk Studios – on Amazon Prime UK and USA, and are scheduled to be featured in more countries. Another title, “The Debt Call” by director Pelden Dorji, is expected to follow.
“Distribution is the hardest part of the filmmaking journey,” said Charmi Chheda, founder of Bezya Pictures. “A film may be beautifully made, but without access to audiences, its life remains incomplete.”
A theatre-maker turned producer, Charmi Chheda is pivoting away from production to focus on distribution. Her strategy is to build a collective presence for Bhutanese films on global platforms, rather than promoting individual titles in isolation.
“Creating a community of Bhutanese films on a platform gives greater possibilities and visibility rather than promoting single films in isolation. Even after films go live, the larger task of marketing lies ahead. If we do not actively promote our films beyond Bhutan, new voices will struggle to carve their path,” she said.
This push is supported by the Department of Media, Creative Industry and Intellectual Property.
Such support, Charmi Chheda said, is crucial. “Bhutan’s creative sector has seen a rise in training programmes, but without pathways to audiences, new talent risks stagnation. Skills, without markets, have limited value.”
The early signs are encouraging. Despite modest budgets and limited promotional machinery, Bhutanese films are finding audiences abroad. Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse’s “Pig at the Crossing”, rejected by more than 30 film festivals, has nevertheless recouped much of its production cost through a handful of screenings.
“Even as I wrote the story, I knew it would not be a box-office success,” Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse said. “Yet a few screenings have already covered most of our costs.”
Similarly, “With Love from Bhutan” has resonated with viewers beyond the Himalayas. The film’s producer, Tashi Yoezer Wangchuk, sees this as evidence that local stories, when told honestly, carry universal appeal.
In recent years, government-backed initiatives, including funding schemes and institutional support, have begun to nurture the creative sector.
“If such support continues consistently for at least five years, Bhutan has the potential to emerge as a vibrant creative hub,” she said.
Bezya Pictures aims to forge sustainable partnerships with international platforms and distributors for Bhutanese cinema to reach global audiences.
Some Bhutanese films that have already made their way onto international platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video include “Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom”, “Buelwa – An Offering”, “Gangnam Girls”, and the documentary “The Next Guardian”.