Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo

Marie Clémentine Dusabejambo (; born in 1987) is a Rwandan filmmaker known for films that explore the complexities of contemporary Rwandan society. In 2026, she became the first director from Rwanda to premiere a film in the Cannes Official Selection with her debut feature, Ben'Imana.

Life Marie Clémentine Dusabejambo was born in Kigali in 1987 Rwanda. She trained as an electrical and telecommunications engineer before turning to filmmaking.

Her first film, Lyiza, won a Tanit bronze award at the Carthage Film Festival in 2012. The story was inspired by news reports of the 2007-2008 killings of people with albinism in Tanzania. The film premiered at the Goethe Institut in Kigali and was shown at the 2017 Toronto Black Film Festival.

Icyasha (2018) centers on a 12-year-old boy who wants to join the neighborhood football team but is bullied for being effeminate. It was nominated for Best Short Film at ZIFF 2018, and for Best Short Film at the 2019 Africa Movie Academy Awards. She was named among the six honorees for the Women in Cinema Gala hosted by the Red Sea Film Foundation during the 2026 Cannes Film Festival.

Filmography

Feature films

Short films Lyiza (2011) Behind the Word (2013) A Place for Myself (2016) Icyasha / Etiquette (2018)