Nepali director Abinash Bikram Shah poses during a photocall after he won a special mention-Short Film for the film 'Lori' at the 75th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on Saturday. Agence France-Presse/RSS

At the 75th edition of the Festival de Cannes, Nepali writer and director Abinash Bikram Shah’s ‘Lori: Melancholy of my mother’s lullabies’, which was competing for the ‘The Short Film Palme D'or’ category, won the Special Mention of the Jury.

Shah’s movie was among the nine short films selected for the Short Film Palme D’or category for this year’s festival, from a total of 3,507 short films submitted from more than 140 countries. Shah’s 14-minute movie had been competing against films from China, South Korea, Costa Rica, the United States, France, Ghana, Hong Kong, and Lithuania. Jianying Chen’s (from China) short film ‘The Water Murmurs’ won the competition.
‘Lori: Melancholy of my mother’s lullabies’ is based on the relationship of a mother and daughter and delves into the grim realities of patriarchy in the Southeast parts of rural Nepal. By winning the jury’s special mention, Shah’s ‘Lori’ helped mark a historical moment for the Nepali film industry.
The honourary mention for Shah means recognition of years of hard work and dedication. “I feel ecstatic. This is an incredible moment. But having said that, I also know this is just the first step towards something bigger,” said Shah in a text interview.
“This achievement might not bring the greatest of changes in the film industry but I believe it will make us realise that our Nepali stories and experiences are worth telling and with enough passion and dedication, it has the potential to compete globally.” 
In the past, although a few Nepali films like ‘Chaukath’ have made their appearance in the Cannes Festival’s screening and exhibition categories, Shah’s ‘Lori: Melancholy of mother’s lullabies’ was the country’s first film in the main competition category. And now, it is the first-ever Nepali short film to get a special mention at one of the most acclaimed film festivals.
“We have been making short films for 12 years, and it hasn’t been an easy journey. And the road to Festival de Cannes was not something that happened overnight. But this achievement has proved that this was never an impossible dream for Nepali filmmakers. I think this moment is a feat for all Nepalis,” said Anup Poudel, the producer of ‘Lori’, from Cannes.
“We believe this achievement has opened a door of possibilities for the Nepali film industry and has fueled people with motivation and inspiration to do more.”