KATHMANDU: Abinash Bikram Shah’s Nepali film “Elephants in the Fog” has premiered at the Cannes Film Festival 2026 in France, where it received an 8-minute standing ovation and widespread international praise.

Before the screening, Shah along with lead cast members including Pushpa Thing Lama, Jasmine Bishwakarma, Eliz Ghimire, Chayan Adhikari and others walked the red carpet.

The film has made history as the first Nepali feature selected in the prestigious “Un Certain Regard” section at Cannes.

It is a Nepal–France–Germany–Brazil–Norway co-production and marks Shah’s directorial debut.

Bollywood filmmaker Anurag Kashyap praised the film, calling it one of the best he has seen at Cannes and a major leap for Nepali cinema, while also appreciating Pushpa Thing’s performance.

International critics, including Variety, have also highlighted the film’s sensitive portrayal of identity and marginalized communities in South Asia.

The story follows a family affected by wild elephant attacks while exploring deeper social and identity themes.