Pushpa Thing Lama, the lead actor of Nepali film ‘Elephants in the Fog’ (Tiniharu), has won the Best Performance award at the 19th Asia Pacific Screen Awards held in Gold Coast, Australia.

Lama was recognised for her portrayal of Pirati, a member of the kinnar community, in the film directed by Abinash Bikram Shah. The film, a co-production between Nepal, Germany, Brazil, France and Norway, has earned international recognition since its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year.

“This honour is a matter of great pride for me,” Lama said after receiving the award, describing it as a milestone in her life. “It has connected me to Pirati’s character forever.”

Shah also congratulated the actor on social media, recalling her contribution to the film’s four-year production journey. He said Lama’s sensitivity, courage and honesty in bringing Pirati to life on screen would remain special to the team.

‘Elephants in the Fog’ won the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section at the 79th Cannes Film Festival in May, becoming the first Nepali feature film to win an official award at the festival. The achievement brought unprecedented international attention to Nepali cinema.

Written and directed by Shah and produced by Anup Poudel, the film centres on Pirati, the head of a kinnar family living on the outskirts of a village. She and her family members patrol the forest at night to protect the settlement from wild elephants. Things take a turn when one of their own goes missing.

The film explores the lives of people living on the margins of society, examining questions of identity, exclusion, belonging and family. It was released in Nepal in September and has been noted for placing members of the kinnar community at the centre of its narrative, moving beyond the stereotypical portrayals often found in mainstream Nepali cinema.