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Nepali feature film “Elephants in the Fog” has been officially selected in the Un Certain Regard section of the 79th Cannes Film Festival. With this, Nepali cinema has achieved a historic milestone by entering one of the festival’s prestigious official sections, according to the production team.
Written and directed by Avinash Bikram Shah, the film is produced in collaboration between Underground Talkies Nepal and Jayanti Creations. The project also involves co-production partnerships from France, Germany, Brazil, and Norway.
The film tells the emotional story of a minority family living in a rural settlement affected by recurring wild elephant attacks. It explores themes of rural realism, social vulnerability, and the human–nature conflict.
The cast includes both new faces and established actors such as Gauri Malla, Mao Tse Gurung, Shanti Giri, Sanjay Gupta Dura, Mahima Nawbagh, and Aashant Sharma.
From Underground Talkies Nepal, Anup Paudel serves as producer, while Kumudini Gurung Shrestha, Soham Dhakal, and Prachandaman Shrestha are producers from Jayanti Creations.
Filmmakers including Min Bahadur Bham, Pravesh Gurung, Keki Adhikari, and Pratik Subedi have also contributed to the production.
Director Avinash Bikram Shah previously gained international recognition by winning an award at Cannes for his short film “Lori.” He has also written acclaimed films such as “The Black Hen” and “Shambhala.”
“Elephants in the Fog” marks his debut as a feature film director.
The cinematography is done by Noé Bach and Cyrille, while editing is by Andrew Bird and Paris Bergen. The film features an international team handling sound, music, production design, and other technical aspects.
The 79th Cannes Film Festival will begin on May 12. The opening film will be “The Electric Kiss,” a comedy set in the 1920s, directed by Pierre Salvadori.
The jury will be headed by acclaimed South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook. This year, Barbra Streisand and Peter Jackson will be honored with the honorary Palme d’Or.
In nearly six decades of Nepali film history, this is the first Nepali feature film officially selected for Cannes. The production team has dedicated this achievement to Nepali audiences and the film industry, expressing hope to bring more powerful Nepali stories to the global stage in the future.
