Abinash Bikram Shah’s film 'Elephants in the Fog', brings Nepal global glory at Cannes 2026 with a historic win

Elephants in the Fog has recently made history by earning the prestigious Un Certain Regard Jury Prize at the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival 2026. Written and directed by Abinash Bikram Shah, this film has put Nepal on the global spotlight as it becomes the first film in the country to win an award at the esteemed festival.

Cannes 2026 honours Nepali film 'Elephants in the Fog' with historic Jury Prize

The Un Certain Regard Jury Prize category runs parallel to the well known Palme d'Or event and highlights the bold storytelling, innovative or daring works and emerging cinematic voices in the world across genres. 

While accepting the award, director Abinash talked about how the recognition has not only helped the film on the global pedestal but also have become a voice to the country’s unheard community. He said, “For so long, the lives of Pirati and her daughters, the communities and all the persons, who are in the East, have been kept invisible. By bringing our story here and by recognising it with this award, we have pulled those margins into the light. We have made the invisible visible”. 

The story revolves around Pirati, the leader of a Kinnar (a third gender) community who dreams of running away and starting a new life with the man she loves. However, tragedy follows her when one of her daughters mysteriously disappears. It forces her to choose between personal freedom and her duty towards her community that she happens to be a leader of.

The movie stars actors like Pushpa Thing Lama, Deepika Yadav, Jasmine Bishwokarma, Aliz Ghimire and Dura Sanjay Kumar Gupta.

Though this marks the first Nepali film to receive such a prestigious honour on the global stage, Abinash is no stranger to international acclaim. Over the years, several of his films have been celebrated for their powerful storytelling and emotional depth. His short film Lori even earned a Special Mention at the 75th edition of the festival, becoming the first Nepali short film to achieve that recognition.

Other works and writing credits include Kalo Pothi, Highway and Tatini, all screened at various international festivals.

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