Theja Rio’s ‘Angh’ Wins Platform Award at TIFF, Earns Oscar Eligibility
The debut feature expands Rio’s 2021 short and won CAD 20,000, giving it a direct path to the 2027 Academy Awards.
- On Sunday, Naga filmmaker Theja Rio's debut feature Angh won the top prize at the 51st Toronto International Film Festival, securing a direct pathway to the 99th Academy Awards' International Feature Film category.
- Set in 1960s Nagaland, the 16mm film explores the tension between Konyak tribe traditions and the arrival of a colonial missionary, featuring Indigenous actors including Anghlong Konyak and Douglas Henshall.
- Under new Academy guidelines, films winning top jury prizes at major festivals can compete for the Best International Feature Oscar, enabling Angh to qualify independently of the official national selection process.
- Last week, the Film Federation of India selected Gondhal as its official entry for the 99th Academy Awards, meaning both films will now compete in the coming months to secure a place in the final nominations.
- Executive producer Gaurav Dhingra called the award, which includes a CAD 20,000 cash prize, 'deeply moving' for Nagaland cinema, as winning the Platform Prize provides a rare global stage for the filmmaker's community's voice.
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Bollywood Hungama
PressNewsAgencyAngh becomes FIRST Indian film to win TIFF 2026 Platform Competition, earns 2027 Oscars eligibility
Angh, the feature directorial debut of award-winning filmmaker Theja Rio, wins the prestigious Platform Competition at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2026, earning eligibility for the International Feature Film category at the 2027 Academy Awards. The film had its world premiere at TIFF 2026, where the film received an incredible response from audiences for its deeply personal storytelling and poignant portrayal of a disappearing…
Theja Rio’s ‘Angh’ wins Platform Award at TIFF, earns Oscar eligibility
Kohima: Naga filmmaker Theja Rio’s feature directorial debut Angh has won the Platform Award at the 51st Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), giving the Nagaland-set film a direct eligibility pathway for consideration in the International Feature Film category at the 2027 Academy Awards. The award was announced at TIFF on Sunday, September 20. The Platform […]
How Angh qualified for Oscars race despite not being selected as India’s official entry
Naga filmmaker Theja Rio's Angh has qualified for the race to the Best International Feature category at the 99th Academy Awards next year, days after Gondhal was selected as India's official Oscars entry.
Nagaland filmmaker Theja Rio's feature debut 'Angh' wins Platform Award at TIFF, becomes eligible for Oscars
Theja Rio's debut feature Angh has won the Platform Prize at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival. The Nagaland-set film was the only Indian entry in the 12-film competition and now has a pathway to Oscar consideration.
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