Oscars: Rwanda Picks ‘Ben’Imana’ as Its First-Ever Best Int’l Feature Submission

Rwanda’s film industry is taking a big new step, with Marie-Clementine Dusabejambo’s debut feature Ben’Imana having been selected as the East African country’s first-ever submission for the best international feature film Oscar at the the 99th Academy Awards in 2027.

The film, which premiered at Cannes, explores the pursuit of justice and reconciliation for survivors of genocide.

“Rwandan women confront national wounds and family secrets in a searing drama,” THR‘s review highlighted. “Through the character’s complex and often tense relationships with her teenage daughter, her sister and her mother, as well as with other women in her village, Dusabejambo has crafted a story that’s both emblematic and achingly specific.”

“The selection marks a historic moment for Rwandan cinema, with Ben’Imana becoming the first film ever officially submitted by Rwanda for the Academy Awards,” highlighted Alexander, the newly launched film distribution arm of film producer Cameron Lamb, which recently acquired all rights in English-speaking territories to the film.

Ben’Imana premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes, marking the first time a film from Rwanda screened in the venerable fest’s official selection. It ended up winning both the Caméra d’Or for best first feature and the FIPRESCI Prize.

The film the celebrated its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and will gets its U.K. premiere at the 70th BFI London Film Festival on Oct. 12. Ben’Imana will gets its theatrical release in the U.K. in February 2027, followed by a U.S. release in March. mk2 is handling world sales.

Ben’Imana stars Isabelle Kabano, Clémentine U. Nyirinkindi and Kesia Kelly Nishimwe. Dusabejambo wrote the script in collaboration with Delphine Agut. The cinematographer is Mostafa El Kashef, with editing by Nadia Ben Rachid. The film features an original score by Rwandan singer-songwriter Igor Mabano.

The majority co-production between Rwanda and Gabon, and minority co-production with France, Norway, and Côte d’Ivoire, was shot entirely on location in Rwanda with a primarily Rwandan crew.

Kigali-based Dusabejambo is a self-taught filmmaker who took her first steps in cinema as part of a collective of young filmmakers in her neighborhood. In 2010, she won a scriptwriters’ competition of the Tribeca Film Institute, which led to her first short, Lyiza, which premiered at Tribeca in 2011. She also worked as an archivist on the documentary series Why We Hate?, directed by Sam Pollard and Geeta Gandbhir and executive-produced by Steven Spielberg and Alex Gibney, and as assistant director on Faces We Lost by Piotr Cieplak. Her other short films, A Place for Myself and Icyasha, have screened at international festivals.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will unveil the 15 films on the best international feature film shortlist on Dec. 15. The five nominees will be announced Jan. 21, 2027. The 99th Academy Awards ceremony will take place on March 14, 2027.