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🇳🇵 Nepal /Culture & Society

Nepali film makes history at Cannes with 'Elephants in the Fog' win

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Abinash Bikram Shah's debut feature 'Elephants in the Fog' made history by winning the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, the first Nepali feature to do so.
  • The film, which also won the Best Sound Creation Award, portrays the lives of a transgender Kinnar community facing elephant attacks in Nepal's Tarai region.
  • Shah emphasized the collaborative nature of filmmaking and the audience's role in completing the film, while reflecting on the journey from independent production to international recognition.

Nepali cinema has reached a new milestone at the Cannes Film Festival, with Abinash Bikram Shah's debut feature 'Elephants in the Fog' securing the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section. This historic win marks the first time a Nepali feature film has achieved such recognition at the prestigious festival. The film also garnered the Best Sound Creation Award, highlighting its innovative sound design.

the movie has “the best last shot I’ve seen in Cannes so far.”

· Anurag KashyapAnurag Kashyap, an acclaimed Indian filmmaker, praised the film's final shot.

'Elephants in the Fog' has captivated international audiences with its sensitive portrayal of a transgender Kinnar community in Nepal's Tarai region, a community often marginalized and living under the constant threat of elephant attacks. Acclaimed Indian filmmaker Anurag Kashyap praised the movie, calling its final shot the best he had seen at Cannes.

The shift happened long before Cannes, right in the editing room.

· Abinash Bikram ShahDirector Abinash Bikram Shah described when the film began to belong to the world.

Director Shah described the filmmaking process as a deeply collaborative journey. He explained that the film evolved beyond his initial script as actors infused their own experiences and the landscape influenced the narrative. "The audience has entered the conversation, the film is finally complete, and it belongs entirely to them," Shah stated.

And now, the audience has entered the conversation, the film is finally complete, and it belongs entirely to them.

· Abinash Bikram ShahDirector Abinash Bikram Shah discussed the film's completion and ownership by the audience.

Reflecting on the arduous production, Shah admitted that winning awards felt distant while grappling with logistical challenges, budget constraints, and harsh weather conditions in the Terai. He emphasized that the driving force behind the project was a "stubborn urgency" and a deep conviction that the story mattered, rather than the pursuit of recognition.

If I am completely honest, it felt very distant.

· Abinash Bikram ShahDirector Abinash Bikram Shah admitted that winning awards felt distant during production.
About this summary

Originally published by Kathmandu Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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