Pushpa Thing Lama Wins Best Performance at Asia Pacific Screen Awards for Elephants in the Fog

No representatives from the production team were present on Australia’s Gold Coast to accept the trophy in person after a last-minute cancellation prevented them from travelling, leaving Pushpa Thing Lama’s Best Performance win at the 19th Asia Pacific Screen Awards on October 30, 2026, to be celebrated from afar as a new milestone for the international co-production Elephants in the Fog.

Recognition for a Debut Role on the Gold Coast

Lama portrayed Pirati, the matriarch of a kinnar community living on the edge of a remote Nepali village near a forest patrolled by wild elephants. The performance marks the actor’s first screen role, bringing her background as a transgender rights activist into a narrative exploring family exclusion and survival. The Asia Pacific Screen Awards honored her in a single performance category that does not divide nominees by gender. The film’s production team planned to travel to Australia for the ceremony but cancelled at the last minute, leaving no representatives in attendance to accept the trophy in person.

Elephants in the Fog Wins Cannes Jury Prize

The latest win builds on a strong international festival run for the feature, directed by Abinash Bikram Shah and produced by Anup Poudel. In May, Elephants in the Fog secured the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, marking the first time an official Nepali feature film won an award at the event. The film is a co-production involving entities from Nepal, Germany, Brazil, France, and Norway. Following its festival circuit success, the film premiered commercially in Nepal in September.

Entering the 19th Asia Pacific Screen Awards, the production garnered three major nominations. Abinash Bikram Shah was shortlisted for best director, the feature competed for best film, and Lama secured the nomination for best performance. Reflecting on the win, Lama expressed gratitude to Shah and Poudel for trusting her to bring Pirati to life, calling the honor a milestone in her acting journey. Shah also acknowledged the four-year production timeline on social media, praising the sensitivity and honesty Lama brought to the character.

Reflections on a Milestone Honour

It has connected me to Pirati’s character forever. Lama expressed gratitude to the Asia Pacific Screen Awards and thanked director Abinash Bikram Shah and producer Anup Paudel, adding that she would always cherish the award as a special memory.

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