Cannes’ Nepalese Thriller ‘Elephants in the Fog’ Boarded by Best Friend Forever (EXCLUSIVE)

“Elephants in the Fog,” a Nepalese thriller set to bow at the Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section, has been boarded by Brussels-based sales company Best Friend Forever.

“Elephants in the Fog,” marks the debut feature of emerging director Abinash Bikram Shah, whose short “Lori” received a Special Mention in Cannes’ short film competition in 2022. He also co-wrote “Shambhala,” directed by Min Bahadur Bham, which screened in competition at the Berlin Film Festival in 2024.

Set in a small Nepalese village surrounded by a forest populated by wild elephants, the story follows Pirati, the matriarch of a Kinnar community, who dreams of escaping to a “normal” life with the man she is in love with. But when one of her daughters disappears, she must investigate and choose between love and responsibility to her community.

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“Elephants in the Fog” stars an up-and-coming cast including Pushpa Thing Lama, Deepika Yadav, Jasmine Bishwokarma and Aliz Ghimire.

The topnotch key crew includes editor Andrew Bird (“The Seed Of the Sacred Fig,” “Amrum”), cinematographer Noé Bach (“Wild Diamond,” “Little Girl Blue”) and composer Frederic Alvarez (“In the Land of Brothers”).

“Elephants in the Fog” is produced by Underground Talkies Nepal, Les Valseurs and Die Gesellschaft DGS, and co-produced by Enquadramento Produções, Bubbles Project, Zischlermann Filmproduktion, Storm Films, Jayantii Creations and ZDF/Das kleine Fernsehspiel & ZDF/ARTE.

“At its heart, the film is rooted in the lived realities of the Kinnar community, individuals who, though pushed to the margins, forge resilient and deeply meaningful chosen families,” said Shah. “I was drawn to the emotional depth of these bonds; the way kinship is built and sustained far beyond biological and societal ties. Yet, these lives remain in a constant, fragile tug-of-war with a mainstream society that demands they conform,” Shah continued.

Anup Poudel, the film’s Nepali producer, said this “is a story that needs to be heard. It is a work of both resistance and deep empathy, and we are proud to champion a film that invites the world to witness the urgent, complex humanity of the Kinnar community.”

Justin Pechberty, French producer at Les Valseurs, said the premiere of “Elephants in the Fog” will bring the company back to Un Certain Regard where “The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo” claimed the top prize last year. “Accompanying a voice as singular as Abinash Bikram Shah’s is a rare privilege,” she said, adding that “Kinnar communities are both revered and feared for their ancestral powers, yet ostracized by a transphobic society.”

Michael Henrichs, the German producer, said he has known and worked with Abinash across a number of projects since they first met at a workshop in Kathmandu in 2014. “Producing ‘Elephants in the Fog,’ his debut feature as a director, together with a wonderful group of international partners, is a truly rewarding experience and a long-anticipated milestone in our collaboration,” he said.

Martin Gondre and Charles Bin, Best Friend Forever co-founders, said, “The film delivers a vibrant portrait of a little-known community in Nepal.”

“Tension keeps growing as the investigation moves forward, with a deeply embodied, Safdie-esque urgency culminating in a strikingly powerful finale unlike anything recently seen in Asian cinema. We can’t wait for the world to meet Pirati and her daughters,” the pair added.

Best Friend Forever will unveil the rest of its Cannes slate at a later stage. The company also represents “Nina Roza” by Geneviève Dulude-De Celles, which won the Silver Bear for best screenplay at the Berlinale, as well as two animation titles, the Japanese film “Chimney Town: Frozen in Time” and the Brazilian film “Papaya.”