Rwanda: Ben'imana's Oscar Bow - How Did It Get There?

What the report says

Rwanda has, for the first time, selected a film for the Academy Awards race, naming Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo’s Ben'Imana as its official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Oscars, according to The New Times via AllAfrica. The film is a Kinyarwanda-language drama that follows a Genocide survivor working through reconciliation in a community where survivors and families of perpetrators still live side by side.

The New Times said the choice comes after a standout festival run in 2026. Ben'Imana premiered at Cannes in May in the Un Certain Regard section and became the first film by a Rwandan director to reach Cannes’ Official Selection. It later won the Caméra d'Or for best first feature and the FIPRESCI Prize from international critics. The film then screened at festivals including Sydney, Karlovy Vary, Melbourne, Toronto, Helsinki, Busan, and London.

The article also places the project in context as a long development effort that began around 2014 and involved producers and partners from Rwanda and several other countries. Dusabejambo, who previously made award-winning shorts, is making her first feature with Ben'Imana. The film’s Oscar path now depends on Academy screening and voting stages, with shortlist announcements expected in December and the final nominees to follow in January.