Award-Winning Nepali Film ‘Elephants in the Fog’ Set for Historic Canberra Screening
Cannes award-winning Nepali film ‘Elephants in the Fog’ is heading to Australia’s Parliament House for a special screening on October 26, 2026. The event in Canberra will not only introduce Nepali cinema to an influential international audience but also raise funds for humanitarian relief.
Directed by Abinash Bikram Shah, the film is scheduled to be screened at the theatre inside Australia’s Federal Parliament House. According to the organisers, it will be the first Nepali film to receive a screening at the venue.
The special event is being organised by the Australia-Nepal Parliamentary Friendship Group, with support from the Embassy of Nepal in Canberra and the Federation of Nepali Community Associations of Australia (FeNCA). Speedwings Pty Ltd Australia is managing the programme.
Members of the Australian Parliament, diplomatic representatives, Nepali community leaders, journalists and other invited guests are expected to attend.
Bringing Nepali Cinema and Humanitarian Support Together
The screening will go beyond celebrating Nepali filmmaking. It will also serve as a fundraising initiative to support people affected by humanitarian emergencies.
Shanti Dhakal, Chief Executive Officer of Speedwings, said the event has three main objectives: promoting Nepali cinema internationally, supporting humanitarian causes and strengthening cultural relations between Nepal and Australia.
According to the organisers, the event will raise funds for Nepal’s Prime Minister’s Relief Fund and Australia’s Emergency Action Alliance.
Attendees will have the opportunity to make voluntary donations by scanning a QR code available at the venue.
The Emergency Action Alliance is an Australian humanitarian network that brings together 15 aid organisations to respond to major international disasters.
From Cannes Film Festival to Australian Parliament
The Canberra screening comes after ‘Elephants in the Fog’ achieved a major international breakthrough at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival in France.
The film won the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section, becoming the first Nepali feature film to win the award. It also received recognition for sound creation at Cannes.
Written and directed by Abinash Bikram Shah, the film follows Pirati, the matriarch of a Kinnar community living near a forest inhabited by wild elephants.
When a young woman from her community disappears, Pirati begins searching for her. The investigation forces her to confront difficult choices between personal freedom, love and responsibility.
Featuring Pushpa Thing Lama in the leading role, the film explores identity, belonging, discrimination and the lives of people often overlooked by society.
Its success at Cannes brought international recognition to Nepali storytelling and opened new opportunities for the country’s filmmakers.
More Screenings Planned Across Australia
The organisers are also preparing to bring ‘Elephants in the Fog’ to major Australian cities in November 2026.
The upcoming screenings aim to reach wider audiences, particularly members of the Nepali diaspora, while continuing fundraising efforts for humanitarian assistance.
For Nepal’s growing film industry, the Canberra event offers another opportunity to connect with international audiences.
It also brings together cinema, cultural diplomacy and community support, allowing a Nepali story that gained recognition at Cannes to reach a new audience inside one of Australia’s most important national institutions.
