Nepal’s ‘Elephants in the Fog’ team honoured after historic Cannes Triumph

Kathmandu-The team behind Elephants in the Fog was honoured in Kathmandu after the film achieved a historic milestone for Nepali cinema at the Cannes Film Festival 2026.The felicitation and experience-sharing programme was jointly organised by Nepal Film and Cultural Academy and Nepal International Film Festival 2026. Director Abhinas Bikram Shah, producer Anup Paudel, lead actor Pushpa Thing Lama and co-writer Sandip Badal attended the programme and shared their experiences from the prestigious international festival.

‘Elephants in the Fog’ made history as the first Nepali feature film to be selected in the competitive ‘Un Certain Regard’ section at Cannes 2026. Following its premiere on May 20, the film received a standing ovation lasting nearly eight minutes and later won the prestigious ‘Un Certain Regard Jury Prize’, marking a landmark achievement for Nepal’s film industry.The film is set around the forests of Nepal’s Thori border region near India and tells the story of the transgender community living in the area. Through its deeply human narrative, the film explores themes of identity, belonging, love, survival, family and social exclusion. The creators say the film challenges traditional ideas of identity while bringing marginalized voices to the global stage.

Speaking at the event, director Abhinas Bikram Shah explained the symbolism behind the film’s title and emotional core. He said the idea came from the image of an elephant disappearing into the fog, creating a sense of “hide and seek” between visibility and disappearance. According to him, the film was created to bring the stories of marginalized communities to international audiences.Producer Anup Paudel said the success of the film proves Nepali cinema can compete globally when creativity is combined with strong storytelling and international vision. He added that a producer’s role is not only to support creativity but also to present and sell the film to the world. Paudel also noted that the film reflects the struggle for identity and existence, particularly from a female perspective.

Lead actor Pushpa Thing Lama described the project as one of the most emotional and meaningful journeys of her life. She said reaching Cannes was beyond anything she had imagined and credited the entire team for making the experience possible. Lama added that the film was developed through close interaction with the community itself, focusing more on real-life experiences and natural conversations rather than relying solely on scripted dialogue. She said the story represents both her personal journey and the struggles of her community.

Co-writer Sandip Badal also reflected on the symbolic meaning of the elephant and the fog in the film. According to him, the elephant represents the silent strength and consciousness of the forest, while the fog symbolizes the confusion that has blurred the relationship between humans and nature. He said the film attempts to portray how people living close to the jungle continue to survive within fear, struggle and uncertainty while remaining deeply connected to nature.The film is an international co-production between Nepal, France, Germany, Brazil and Norway. During its development, it received support from internationally renowned institutions including the Hubert Bals Fund, Sundance Screenwriters Lab and the World Cinema Fund.

In addition to the Jury Prize, the film also won the ‘Prix de la Meilleure Création Sonore’ award at Cannes for Outstanding Sound Creation. International critics particularly praised the film’s immersive sound design and its haunting recreation of the jungle atmosphere.Filmmakers, journalists and cultural figures attending the event described the success of ‘Elephants in the Fog’ as the beginning of a new era for Nepali cinema. They stressed the importance of continuing to bring authentic local stories and underrepresented voices from Nepal to global audiences.