Cannes-Winning Nepali Film Elephants in the Fog Set for Nepal Release
After making history at the Cannes Film Festival, Nepali film ‘Elephants in the Fog’ is finally coming home. The internationally acclaimed film, also known by its Nepali title ‘Tiniharu’, is set to release in cinemas across Nepal on September 4, 2026, corresponding to Bhadra 19, 2083.
Directed and written by Abinash Bikram Shah, ‘Elephants in the Fog’ became one of the proudest recent moments for Nepali cinema after winning the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. The official Cannes listing identifies the film as Shah’s first feature and records its Jury Prize win in Un Certain Regard.
The film is set in a Nepalese village surrounded by a forest where wild elephants roam. At the center of the story is Pirati, the matriarch of a Kinnar community, who dreams of leaving her village to live with the man she loves. But when one of her daughters goes missing, she is forced to confront a difficult choice between personal freedom and responsibility toward her community.
The film’s Cannes recognition has added major anticipation to its Nepal release. For Nepali audiences, this is not just another theatrical release; it is a chance to watch a film that has already carried a local story to one of the world’s most prestigious cinema platforms.
‘Elephants in the Fog’ is also significant for its representation of a Kinnar community, a subject rarely explored with such international visibility in Nepali cinema. Reuters reported that the film focuses on Nepal’s transgender community and noted its importance as the first Nepali film at the festival.
The project is an international co-production involving Nepal, France, Germany, Brazil and Norway, with a runtime of 103 minutes. The cast listed by Cannes includes Pushpa Thing Lama, Deepika Yadav, Jasmin Bishwokarma, Aliz Ghimire, Aashant Sharma, Sanjay Gupta and Dol Bahadur Sharma.
Following its Cannes success, the film’s Nepal release will be handled by Tea Folks Films, according to official social media updates from Underground Talkies Nepal. The film is scheduled to screen across Nepal from September 4.
For Nepali cinema, ‘Elephants in the Fog’ arrives with both emotional and historical weight. Its journey from a Nepalese village story to the Cannes stage and now back to Nepali theatres makes it one of the most closely watched domestic releases of 2026.
Watch Trailer Here:
