Nepali Film Team Gets Grand Welcome After Cannes Win

Nepal’s Cannes-winning film team returned home to a grand welcome in Kathmandu on Monday after making history at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.

Director Avinash Bikram Shah, producer Anup Poudel and actor Pushpa Thing Lama of the film Elephants in the Fog were received at Tribhuvan International Airport with traditional music, flower garlands and khadas as film workers and government officials gathered to celebrate the achievement.

Grand welcome at the airport

Information and Communications Minister Bikram Timilsina, Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Khadgaraj Poudel, along with Film Development Board chair Dinesh DC were present at the airport reception.

Representatives from film-related organisations, the Directors’ Society and the Artists’ Association also joined the welcome program.

Historic success for Nepali cinema at Cannes

Elephants in the Fog won the Jury Prize in the “Un Certain Regard” section at the Cannes Film Festival, one of the festival’s major competitive categories outside the main competition lineup.

The victory is being seen as one of the biggest international achievements for Nepali cinema.

Government preparing separate honour program

The Film Development Board has announced a cash reward of Rs 250,000 for the film team. The Ministry of Communications is also preparing a separate honour program for the filmmakers.

Speaking at the airport, Minister Bikram Timilsina said Nepali films were helping strengthen the country’s identity on the international stage. He also said the government would support more creative and alternative cinema in the coming days.

Culture Minister Khadgaraj Poudel described artists and filmmakers as unpaid ambassadors of the country and said such achievements help introduce Nepal to the world.

Director Shah says he was overwhelmed

Director Avinash Bikram Shah said he had never received this much love and respect before. He said he felt proud that a Nepali story had found space on an international platform like Cannes.

Shah had earlier received recognition at Cannes

Shah’s short film Lori had earlier received a special mention at Cannes. But this year’s recognition is being viewed as a much bigger moment for Nepal’s film industry.