Kathmandu, October 31
The Nepali film “Elephants in the Fog” (Tiniharu) has won an award at the 19th Asia Pacific Screen Awards, held on Friday in Gold Coast, Australia. Its lead actress, Pushpa Thing Lama, won Best Performance.
Her win has further raised the international profile of Nepali cinema at the awards, which honour films and filmmakers from across the Asia-Pacific region.
Directed by Abinash Bikram Shah, the film was nominated in three categories. It was shortlisted for best film, Shah for best director, and Pushpa for best performance.
The film’s team told Onlinekhabar that they had planned to travel to Australia for the ceremony but had to cancel at the last minute. As a result, no one from the team attended the event.
After the win, Pushpa Thing Lama expressed her gratitude to the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. She said the honour was special to her and thanked director Abinash Bikram Shah and producer Anup Paudel.
She also thanked the director and producer for trusting her and allowing her to bring the character “Pirati” to life. She said the award is a beautiful milestone in her acting journey and that she would always cherish it as a special memory.
Elephants in the Fog tells a story rooted in Nepali society, culture and marginalised communities. It was earlier selected for the Un Certain Regard section of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where it also received the Jury Prize.
The film has continued to draw attention at international festivals since its success at Cannes. The award in Australia is being seen as another significant step in the international journey of Nepali cinema.
