‘Ben’Imana’ Makes History as First Film by a Rwandan Director to Premiere in the Cannes Official Selection

Ben’Imana, the debut feature by Rwandan filmmaker Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo, is among the African films selected in Un Certain Regard at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival.

It becomes the first film by a Rwandan director to premiere in the Cannes Official Selection, following Munyurangabo (2007), which was helmed by American director Lee Isaac Chung.

Cannes artistic director Thierry Frémaux described Ben’Imana as “astounding” for a debut feature during the official announcement.

A decade in the making, Ben’Imana tells the story of Veneranda, a survivor of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi who has rebuilt her life around reconciliation and community healing. Her fragile sense of stability is shaken when her teenage daughter becomes pregnant, triggering painful memories and unresolved tensions linked to the past. As the situation unfolds, Veneranda is forced to confront the limits of forgiveness and the emotional weight of history within her own family.

The film stars Clémentine U. Nyirinkindi, Isabelle Kabano, Kesia Kelly Nishimwe, Leocadie Uwabeza, Antoinette Uwamahoro and Aime Valens Tuyisenge.

The Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival is known for highlighting bold and emerging voices in global cinema. Dusabejambo’s selection places her among a new wave of filmmakers gaining international attention for original storytelling.

Other African films premiering in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes 2026 are Morocco’s La Más Dulce from director Laïla Marrakchi and Central African Republic-DR Congo collaboration Congo Boy by Rafiki Fariala.

Before directing Ben’Imana, Dusabejambo gained recognition for her short films such as A Place for Myself, Icyasha, Behind the World and Lyiza, which explore themes of memory, identity and social justice.

Ben’Imana was developed over several years through international labs and co-production programmes, including La Fabrique Cinéma, the Atlas Workshops at the Marrakech International Film Festival and Ouaga Film Lab, and secured backing from major funds such as the Berlinale’s World Cinema Fund.

In 2025, the film received production support from the Norwegian Sørfond. It also won the 40,000 USD Red Sea Souk Post-Production Award and a 32,500 USD Filmmore in-kind Award at the 2025 Red Sea Souk Awards.

Ben’Imana is produced by Samantha Biffot (Ivory Coast) and Marie Epiphanie Uwayezu (Rwanda), with cinematography by Egyptian filmmaker Mostafa El Kashef, known for his work on the 2025 Cannes selection Aisha Can’t Fly Away. International sales are handled by MK2 Films, whose recent titles include last year’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner It Was Just an Accident.

The 2026 Cannes Film Festival will take place from 12-23 May 2026 in France.

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