Ben’Imana is still writing history. After making history as the first Rwandan-directed feature to premiere in the Official Selection at Cannes, Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo’s film has added another international award to its growing list of achievements.

The film won the Prix Scénario (Screenplay Award) at the 2026 Festival de l’Écrit à l’Écran in France. The award recognizes the film’s screenplay by Dusabejambo, written in collaboration with Delphine Agut.

The new recognition comes as Ben’Imana continues its international festival journey following its Cannes debut earlier this year. The film premiered in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival on May 19, where it went on to win both the FIPRESCI Prize and the Caméra d’Or.

The FIPRESCI Prize was presented by the International Federation of Film Critics, while the Caméra d’Or recognizes the best first feature across Cannes’ different sections.

Since Cannes, Ben’Imana has continued to reach audiences outside Rwanda. The film has screened at the Toronto International Film Festival and the New Zealand International Film Festival, and also served as the opening film of the Nairobi Film Festival in Kenya.

At the center of Ben’Imana is Veneranda, a survivor of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi whose life has been shaped by reconciliation and community healing. When her teenage daughter unexpectedly becomes pregnant, the life she has carefully rebuilt begins to unravel, bringing buried wounds back to the surface.

Through the relationship between mother and daughter, the film explores memory, motherhood, trauma and forgiveness, with the latest award placing particular recognition on the writing that shapes the story.

Directed by Dusabejambo, Ben’Imana was produced by Samantha Biffot and Marie Epiphanie Uwayezu. The film is distributed in France by Ad Vitam and is scheduled to open in French cinemas on February 3, 2027.

With its latest award, Ben’Imana continues its festival journey while moving toward its French theatrical release in 2027.