{"id":2000128672,"date":"2026-10-10T18:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-10T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/?p=2000128672"},"modified":"2026-10-10T17:15:16","modified_gmt":"2026-10-10T15:15:16","slug":"rwanda-selects-benimana-for-historic-first-oscar-submission","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/rwanda-selects-benimana-for-historic-first-oscar-submission\/","title":{"rendered":"Rwanda selects \u2018Ben\u2019Imana\u2019 for historic Oscar submission"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Rwanda has selected Ben\u2019Imana, a feature film directed by filmmaker Marie-Cl\u00e9mentine Dusabejambo, as its first official submission to the Academy Awards, marking a significant milestone for the country\u2019s film industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ministry of Youth and Arts announced on October 9, 2026, that the film had been chosen by the Rwanda Oscar Selection Committee to represent the country in the International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The selection marks Rwanda\u2019s first entry into the international feature film category of the Oscars, one of the world\u2019s most prominent film awards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRwanda’s first submission to the Academy Awards is a proud milestone for our film industry and a testament to the talent, creativity and determination of Rwandan filmmakers. BEN\u2019IMANA demonstrates the power of cinema to tell meaningful stories rooted in our history and lived experiences, while connecting with audiences around the world,” said Sandrine Umutoni, Minister of State for Youth and Arts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The submission does not automatically mean the film has been nominated, as it must still pass through the Academy\u2019s selection process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ben\u2019Imana made history earlier in 2026 when it premiered in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival, becoming the first film directed by a Rwandan filmmaker to feature in the festival\u2019s Official Selection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The film subsequently won the Cam\u00e9ra d\u2019Or, an award recognising outstanding first features presented across Cannes\u2019 selections, as well as the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) Prize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Set in Rwanda in 2012, eighteen years after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Ben\u2019Imana explores the difficult process of confronting painful memories, rebuilding relationships and pursuing reconciliation within communities affected by the genocide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story follows V\u00e9n\u00e9randa, a woman who has spent years helping survivors and the families of those responsible confront painful silences surrounding the past. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, when her daughter\u2019s future becomes intertwined with that history, she is forced to reconsider the limits of her own capacity for forgiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through the experiences of three generations of women, the film examines memory, inherited silence, reconciliation and the challenges of rebuilding lives after tragedy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cast includes Isabelle Kabano, Cl\u00e9mentine U. Nyirinkindi and Kesia Kelly Nishimwe. The film was produced through an international collaboration involving Rwanda, Gabon, France, Norway and C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire, with filming carried out entirely in Rwanda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dusabejambo is a self-taught Rwandan filmmaker who began her filmmaking journey in 2008. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before making her first feature film, she gained international recognition through short films including Lyiza, A Place for Myself and Icyasha, which explored themes of identity, discrimination and social experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Academy is expected to publish the list of eligible international feature films before narrowing the selection to a shortlist of 15 films and, ultimately, five nominees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Rwanda
Rwandan filmmaker Marie-Cl\u00e9mentine Dusabejambo\u2019s feature film Ben\u2019Imana has been selected as Rwanda\u2019s first official submission to the Academy Awards.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Marie-Cl\u00e9mentine Dusabejambo\u2019s award-winning debut feature will represent Rwanda in the race for the 99th Academy Awards.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":139,"featured_media":2000128712,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[151],"byline":[201],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-2000128672","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-editors-choice","byline-rania-umutoni"],"bylines":[{"id":201,"name":"Rania Umutoni","slug":"rania-umutoni","description":"","image":{"id":2000122457,"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-08-14-at-12.00.00-PM.jpeg","title":"WhatsApp Image 2026-08-14 at 12.00.00 PM","mime_type":"image\/jpeg"},"user_id":139}],"contributors":[{"id":201,"name":"Rania Umutoni","slug":"rania-umutoni","description":"","image":{"id":2000122457,"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-08-14-at-12.00.00-PM.jpeg","title":"WhatsApp Image 2026-08-14 at 12.00.00 PM","mime_type":"image\/jpeg"},"user_id":139}],"featured_image":{"id":2000128712,"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/10\/SnapInsta.to_841833074_18465060142188876_6397178311941664138_new.jpg","alt":"Rwanda selects \u2018Ben\u2019Imana\u2019 for historic first Oscar submission","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":1500,"height":2000,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/10\/SnapInsta.to_841833074_18465060142188876_6397178311941664138_new.jpg","width":1500,"height":2000},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/10\/SnapInsta.to_841833074_18465060142188876_6397178311941664138_new.jpg","width":1500,"height":2000},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/10\/SnapInsta.to_841833074_18465060142188876_6397178311941664138_new.jpg","width":1500,"height":2000},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/10\/SnapInsta.to_841833074_18465060142188876_6397178311941664138_new.jpg","width":1500,"height":2000},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/10\/SnapInsta.to_841833074_18465060142188876_6397178311941664138_new.jpg","width":1500,"height":2000}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000128672","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/139"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2000128672"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000128672\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2000128714,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000128672\/revisions\/2000128714"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000128712"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2000128672"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2000128672"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2000128672"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=2000128672"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=2000128672"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}