Elephants in the Fog
2026 thriller film by Abinash Bikram Shah
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Elephants in the Fog (Nepali: तिनीहरू, romanized: Tinīharū) is a 2026 thriller film written and directed by Abinash Bikram Shah, in his directorial debut. Starring Pushpa Thing Lama, Deepika Yadav, Jasmine Bishwokarma, Aliz Ghimire, and Dura Sanjay Kumar Gupta,[1] it follows a Nepalese Kinnar community struggle to protect itself.
- Abinash Bikram Shah
- Sandeep Badal
| Elephants in the Fog | |
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Nepalese promotional poster | |
| Nepali | तिनीहरू |
| Directed by | Abinash Bikram Shah |
| Screenplay by | Abinash Bikram Shah |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Noé Bach |
| Edited by | Andrew Bird
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| Music by | Frederic Alvarez |
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Running time | 103 minutes |
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| Languages | Nepali, Bhojpuri |
The film had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival on 20 May,[2] where it won the section's Jury Prize.[3] It was theatrically released in Nepal on 4 September. It was also selected as the Nepalese entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards.[4]
Premise
Cast
- Pushpa Thing Lama
- Deepika Yadav
- Jasmine Bishwokarma
- Aliz Ghimire
- Dura Sanjay Gupta
- Akanchha Karki
- Maotse Gurung
- Aashant Sharma
Production
Elephants in the Fog is an international co-production of Nepal, France, Germany, Brazil, and Norway. In October 2021, the project was selected to participate at the Asian Project Market, held during the 26th Busan International Film Festival.[7] It won the Pop Up Film Residency Award.[8] In November 2021, it received a €10,000 development grant from the Hubert Bals Fund.[9] In April 2022, Shah participated in the Film Independent's Global Media Makers residency to develop the screenplay.[10] He also developed the script at the 2022 Oxbelly Lab.[11] In May 2022, the project was also presented at the La Fabrique Cinéma de l'Institut Français during the Cannes Film Festival.[12] Shah also participated at the 2023 Sundance Screenwriters' Lab.[13]
It participated at the Venice Gap-Financing Market in July 2023.[14] In August 2023, the project received a €40,000 production grant from the World Cinema Fund.[15] In September 2025, it participated at the European Work in Progress, where it received a €30,000 post-production grant.[16][17]
The film is the cinematic debut for most of its actors.[5] Lead actress Pushpa Thing Lama is a Kinnar activist; Elephants in the Fog is her film debut.[18]
Release
Elephants in the Fog had its world premiere at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival at the Un Certain Regard section,[19] receiving over 8-minute standing ovation.[20] Prior to its world premiere, the film's international sales was acquired by Best Friend Forever.[21] It premiered in Nepal on 2 September 2026 as a charity screening raising funds for relief efforts for the 2026 Nepal–Tibet floods. It was released across cinemas in Nepal from 4 September 2026.[22][5]
Reception
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 92% based on 13 reviews, with an average rating of 7.5/10.[23]
Sushil Poudel of eKantipur praised the film's themes, acting, and cinematography, describing it as "an unforgettable artistic and social document."[24] Writing for Screen Daily, Namrata Joshi called the film "an emphatic assertion of identity, resilience, rebellion and empowerment".[25]
Accolades
Elephants in the Fog won the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize and was nominated for the Caméra d'Or and Queer Palm at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where it debuted.[3][26][27] It won the Best Film Award at the 2026 New Zealand International Film Festival.[28]
It was nominated for Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actress at the 19th Asia Pacific Screen Awards.[29]