Nagaland film ‘Angh’ wins TIFF 2026 Platform Prize, becomes eligible for 2027 Oscars
New Delhi: Angh, the Nagaland-set feature debut of filmmaker Theja Rio, has won the Platform Prize at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2026, earning the film an automatic pathway to consideration in the International Feature Film category at the 2027 Academy Awards.
The film was the only Indian entry in TIFF's Platform Competition this year and took the top honour in the section on Sunday.
‘Angh’ brings Naga story to global stage
Set in 1960s Nagaland, Angh follows an ageing Konyak village chief and his son as they struggle to hold on to their ancestral faith and way of life amid sweeping cultural change.
Rio expanded the feature from his 2021 short film of the same name. Shot on 16mm and featuring an Indigenous Naga cast alongside BAFTA-winning actor Douglas Henshall, the film explores tradition, faith, family, memory and cultural transformation.
The TIFF jury praised the film for its distinctive perspective and filmmaking, describing it as a deeply resonant portrait of a world.
Direct route to Oscars consideration
From this year, the winner of TIFF's Platform Competition receives an automatic qualification pathway for consideration in the Academy Awards' International Feature Film category.
The win places Angh among films eligible for the 2027 Oscars race, alongside other national entries, including India's Gondhal.
Also read | Karthik Subbaraj’s ‘Dorothy’ receives standing ovation at Toronto International Film Festival 2026
Theja Rio reacts to win
Rio, 31, said the recognition was especially meaningful because Angh was his debut feature and was deeply rooted in his homeland and community.
He said the film centres on the relationship between a father and son while also exploring themes such as home, letting go and the transient nature of life.
Producer Nancy Nisa Beso said the film had been developed over several years, from the original short to the feature, while retaining the filmmakers' commitment to telling the story on their own terms.
Executive producer Gaurav Dhingra described the film as a rare work made by Indigenous filmmakers in Nagaland and said its Platform victory had brought the community's story to an international audience.
Also read | India's new heroes don't wear loafers, this is how Telugu cinema beat Bollywood
Other TIFF 2026 winners
Spanish film La Bola Negra, directed by Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo, won TIFF's People's Choice Award, the festival's top audience prize.
I Play Rocky was the first runner-up, while Being Heumann finished second runner-up. In the international category, Elsinore, starring Andrew Scott, won the audience award.
Darlene Love: I Know Where I've Been won the documentary People's Choice Award, while Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney took the Midnight Madness audience award.
(With PTI inputs)