Cannes-winning 'Elephants in the Fog' opens in cinemas after special screenings raise funds for flood relief

KATHMANDU: Nepali film 'Elephants in the Fog' (Tiniharu), directed by Abinash Bikram Shah, was released in cinemas across Nepal on Friday. The release follows its Jury Prize win in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, and the film is now showing at local cinemas nationwide.

The Cannes prize is being hailed as a significant milestone for Nepali cinema on the international stage and has brought heightened attention to the film ahead of its domestic opening.

Before the theatrical release, special screenings organised by the Zonta Club of Kathmandu and the film’s production team raised funds for communities affected by recent floods. Proceeds from those events are being directed to the Prime Minister Disaster Relief Fund to assist families as they begin rebuilding their lives; the philanthropic initiative adds an extra layer of meaning to the domestic release.

Serving as Shah’s feature-film directorial debut, 'Elephants in the Fog' is set in a Nepali village bordered by forests and wild elephants. The narrative follows Pirati, the matriarch of a Kinnar community, whose life is upended when one of her daughters goes missing. What starts as a search evolves into a human story of love, freedom, responsibility and belonging.