Eliane Umuhire

Eliane Umuhire is a French-rwandan actress. Her artistic career explores themes of identity, memory and resilience. Her work has been featured in films presented at prestigious international festivals, where she has won awards for her acting and social commitment. Notably acclaimed for her role in the Polish film Birds Are Singing in Kigali by Krzystof Krauze & Joanna Kos, Eliane has been honored with Best Actress awards at festivals such as the Chicago International Film Festival, the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, the Gdynia Polish Fiction Festival, the Polish Festival in New York, the Let's CEE Festival in Vienna, as well as the Mastercard Rising Star award at the Netia Off Camera independent film festival.

Eliane Umuhire
Eliane Umuhire after receiving the MasterCard 2018 Rising Star from the International Festival of Independent Cinema Off Camera
Born	Kigali, Rwanda
Nationality	French-rwandan
Occupation(s)	actress and comedian
Notable work	Neptune Frost
Awards	2017: Silver Hugo Award for Best Actress, Chicago International Film Festival

Recent projects include Baloji's Omen, awarded at Un Certain Regard in Cannes in 2023, Saul Williams' feature film Neptune Frost presented at the Directors' Fortnight in 2021, the Netflix film Trees of Peace by Alanna Brown, and the BAFTA-nominated short film Bazigaga directed by Jo Igabire Moys, which won her acting awards at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival and the Festival International du Film Francophone de Namur. Eliane is also active on television, notably in the series Haven of Grace, broadcast on Arte. She will soon be starring in Planète B, directed by Aude Léa Rapin, alongside Adele Exarchopoulus, and Souheila Yacoub. She also appeared in the spin-off A Quiet Place: Day One alongside Lupita Nyong'o, Joseph Quinn and Djimon Hounsou.^[1]

Filmography

• 2024: A Quiet Place: Day One, as Zena
• 2024: My new friends, as Mosanne
• 2024: Planète B, as Hermès
• 2023: Omen, as Tshala
• 2022: Bazigaga, as Bazigaga
• 2022: Trees of Peace, as Annick^[2]
• 2021: Neptune Frost, as Memory^[3]
• 2017: Birds Are Singing in Kigali, as Claudine Mugambira^[4][5]
• 2015: Things of the aimless wanderer, as Bartender
• 2012: Behind the Word, as Colette's mother

Awards

• 2017: Best Actress, Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF)^[6]
• 2017: Silver Hugo Award for Best Actress, Chicago International Film Festival for Birds Are Singing in Kigali^[7][8]
• 2017: Best Actress at the Gdynia Polish Feature Film Festival
• 2018: MasterCard Rising Star at International Festival of Independent Cinema Off Camera for Birds Are Singing in Kigali^[9]
• 2018: Elzbieta Czyzewska award for best performance, at the New York Polish Film Festival
• 2018: Let's CEE Award Best Acting Performance^[10]
• 2021: Best Ensemble Cast, Trees of Peace, at the Rising sun International Film Festival
• 2022: Best performance award, Namur International Francophone Films Festival
• 2023: Best Actress at Clermont Ferrand International Short film festival

References

1. Umutesi, Alice (2024-08-01). "Umuhire talks role in 'A Quiet Place,' Kigali Cine Junction". The New Times. Retrieved 2024-08-27.
2. Moksha, Tamma (2022-06-14). "'Trees of Peace' review: A moving survival story that needed more substance". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
3. Ide, Wendy. "'Neptune Frost': Cannes Review". Screen. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
4. Boyce, Laurence (2017-07-04). "'The Birds Are Singing In Kigali': Karlovy Vary Review". Screen. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
5. Lodge, Guy (2017-07-06). "Karlovy Vary Film Review: 'Birds Are Singing in Kigali'". Variety. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
6. "Congratulations Eliane Umuhire, you have done Rwanda proud!". The New Times | Rwanda. 2017-07-15. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
7. "Rwandan actress named to jury for Chicago International Film Festival". The New Times | Rwanda. 2020-10-06. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
8. VB, Andy (2017-10-22). "53rd Festival Award-Winning Films". Cinema Chicago. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
9. "Rwandan filmmaker scoops global accolade". The New Times | Rwanda. 2018-05-07. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
10. "Ivan crowned Best Feature Film at LET'S CEE". Cineuropa - the best of european cinema. 23 April 2018. Retrieved 2022-08-02.