Debut filmmaker Abinash Bikram Shah’s Nepali film Elephants in the Fog won the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize at Cannes 2026, marking a milestone for Nepali cinema on the international festival circuit.
The Un Certain Regard section showcases distinctive voices often overlooked in the main competition. Jury recognition places Shah’s feature alongside global auteurs while spotlighting storytelling from the Himalayan republic on one of cinema’s largest stages.
Critics described Elephants in the Fog as a visually layered narrative exploring memory and political unease. Festival programmers said the film benefited from strong acting ensembles and cinematography that evokes mist-shrouded landscapes metaphorically tied to plot themes.
Nepali filmmakers and cultural ministers celebrated the prize as validation for a small industry with limited domestic screens and funding pools. Distribution conversations with European buyers accelerated after the award announcement on the Croisette.
Shah’s debut joins a growing list of South Asian titles gaining Cannes attention in parallel sections. Whether the jury prize leads to theatrical releases beyond festivals will test appetite for Nepali-language cinema among international distributors.
Elephants in the Fog earned the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize for Abinash Bikram Shah, bringing unprecedented Cannes recognition to a Nepali feature film competing among distinctive global voices.
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Sources:
https://www.outlookindia.com/art-entertainment/cannes-film-festival-2026-full-winners-list