Rwanda has selected Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo’s debut feature, “Ben’Imana,” as its first official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards, scheduled for 14 March 2027 in Los Angeles, United States.
Set in Rwanda in 2012, the drama follows Vénéranda, a survivor of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, who helps facilitate reconciliation between victims and perpetrators’ families. An unexpected pregnancy in her own family challenges her convictions.
“Ben’Imana” premiered in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival in France in May 2026, becoming the first film by a Rwandan director selected for the festival’s Official Selection. It subsequently won the Caméra d’Or for best first feature and the FIPRESCI critics’ prize.
The Kinyarwanda-language film is a co-production involving Rwanda, Gabon, France, Norway and Côte d’Ivoire, with international sales handled by France-based MK2 Films.
Rwanda’s Ministry of Youth and Arts established a 13-member national Oscar selection committee in August 2026 to oversee the country’s submission process.
Nine other African countries have announced their selections: Algeria (“Roqia”), Cameroon (“Mabanda”), Chad (“Soumsoum, the Night of the Stars”), Egypt (“The Stories”), Kenya (“One Woman One Bra”), Morocco (“Strawberries”), Nigeria (“Dear Ajayi”), Senegal (“The Attachment”) and South Africa (“Variations on a Theme”).
The Academy will announce its 15-film international feature shortlist on 15 December 2026, followed by the five nominees on 21 January 2027.