Rwanda is set to enter the Oscar race for the first time with “Ben’Imana,” the feature debut of filmmaker Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo. The film made its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in France, where it won the Caméra d’Or. ALSO READ: Who is who on Rwanda’s first-ever Oscars selection committee? It has since made its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and will make its UK premiere at the BFI London Film Festival this month. View this post on Instagram It is scheduled to hit cinemas in France on February 3, 2027, followed by a UK theatrical release on February 19, and a wider US rollout starting in March 2027. Set in Rwanda in 2012, the film follows Vénéranda, a genocide survivor who believes in the need for community trials to advance justice and reconciliation. ALSO READ: The Oscars: What are the criteria for Rwandan films to be selected Despite pressure, she organises discussions between survivors and the families of those responsible for the genocide. When her daughter unexpectedly becomes pregnant, Vénéranda is forced to confront contradictions in her beliefs and painful parts of her past. Since its release, Ben’Imana has garnered widespread acclaim for its “nuanced, deeply human portrayal of healing, generational trauma, and reconciliation,” balancing intimate family dynamics against the backdrop of national recovery. The Oscars submission cements Dusabejambo’s position as one of the formidable voices emerging from contemporary African cinema, marking the first time the country has formally entered the global race for the Best International Feature Film category. The film stars Isabelle Kabano, acclaimed for her performance in the 2021 feature Small Country: An African Childhood, and marks the big-screen debuts of Clémentine U. Nyirinkindi and Kesia Kelly Nishimwe. Dusabejambo co-wrote the screenplay with Delphine Agut. The film’s cinematography is by Mostafa El Kashef, with an original score by Rwandan singer-songwriter Igor Mabano. The film’s selection comes just one year after Rwanda established its first Oscars Selection Committee in 2025. Appointed by the Ministry of Youth and Arts in accordance with the regulations of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), the 15-member committee’s mandate is to conduct a fair, transparent, and artistically rigorous selection process for submission to the 98th Academy Awards in the International Feature Film category, ensuring that the chosen film reflects the highest standards of cinematic excellence and cultural authenticity. Leading Rwanda’s Oscars Selection Committee (ROSC) is Marie France Niragire, who also chairs the Rwanda Arts Council, a key institution representing creative talent in the country. Veteran filmmaker Jones Kennedy Masimpaka is also part of the committee. Mazimpaka had already spoken highly of Ben’Imana’s chances of making it into the Oscars after winning the top prize at Canes Festival. A film that has been to Cannes already has a pathway to the Oscars,” he said, adding that, “ Getting to the Oscars for Clémentine is not something that feels far away.”
