Historic Milestone: Nepali Film "Elephants in the Fog" Selected for Cannes Film Festival's "Un Certain Regard" Section

Kathmandu — In what the production team has described as a historic first in nearly six decades of Nepali cinema, the Nepali feature film "Elephants in the Fog (Tiniharoo)" has been officially selected for the prestigious "Un Certain Regard" section of the 79th Cannes Film Festival.

Written and directed by Avinash Bikram Shah, the film is a co-production between Underground Talkies Nepal and Jayanti Creations, with further co-production support from companies in France, Germany, Brazil, and Norway — an international collaboration that reflects both the film's global ambitions and the universal resonance of its story.

The film follows a minority community family living in a settlement threatened by the terror of wild elephants, weaving together themes of displacement, survival, and human dignity in a rural landscape. The cast includes Gauri Malla, Maotse Gurung, Shanti Giri, Sanjay Gupta Dura, Mahima Nawbag, and Ashant Sharma, alongside several new faces.

Producers include Anup Poudel from Underground Talkies Nepal, and Kumudini Gurung Shrestha, Soham Dhakal, and Prachandaman Shrestha from Jayanti Creations. Filmmakers Minbahadura Bham, Pravesh Gurung, Keki Adhikari, and Pratik Subedi also supported the production. Cinematography is by Noe Bach and Cyril, with editing by Andrew Bird and Paris Berjn, and an international crew handling sound, music, and art direction.

Director Avinash Bikram Shah is no stranger to Cannes. He previously won an award there for his short film Lullaby, and has served as scriptwriter for celebrated Nepali films including Kalo Pothi and Shambala. Elephants in the Fog marks his debut as a feature film director.

The 79th Cannes Film Festival opens on May 12, with the jury led by South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook. This year, honorary Palme d'Or awards will be presented to Barbra Streisand and Peter Jackson. The opening screening will feature Pierre Salvadori's comedy The Electric Kiss.

For Nepali cinema, the selection is not just an award or a recognition — it is a landmark moment that places the country's storytelling on the world's most prestigious cinematic stage for the first time in its history.