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 world.
Set against the evocative backdrop of 1960s Nagaland, Angh follows an ageing Konyak village chief and his son, who remain among the last people holding on to their ancestral faith and way of life as their world undergoes profound change. Shot on 16mm and featuring an Indigenous Naga cast alongside BAFTA winning actor Douglas Henshall, the film explores the intersection of tradition, faith, family, memory and cultural transformation.
Angh is the only Indian film selected for TIFF's Platform Competition this year. One of TIFF's premier competitive sections, Platform is the festival's auteur-driven competition, dedicated to bold directorial voices and distinctive cinematic storytelling. The juried section highlights films shaped by a strong directorial vision and a distinctive perspective. The winner of the Platform Competition receives an automatic qualification for consideration in the International Feature Film category at the Academy Awards. Angh is produced by Nancy Nisa Beso and Theja Rio. The film is represented internationally & domestically for distribution by Jungle Book Studio, which acquired its international sales rights ahead of its TIFF world premiere.
Speaking about the historic win, filmmaker Theja Rio described it as a very special moment for him and everyone associated with Angh. He acknowledged that it was rare for a debut film to receive such recognition and said the film had been made with deep affection for his homeland, people and culture.
Rio said that while the film centres on the relationship between a father and son, it also explores themes of letting go, the relationship with home and the transient nature of life. He noted that these were universal emotions that resonated with people across communities. He added that seeing Angh connect with audiences beyond his own community had been deeply moving and expressed his humility and gratitude to the jury for recognising the film. Rio also thanked the jury for giving the team an opportunity to represent India and its culture on two prestigious platforms — TIFF's Platform Competition and, subsequently, the Academy Awards.
The producer of the film Nancy Nisa Beso said her collaboration with filmmaker Theja Rio had been one of the longest and most meaningful of her career. She said they had carried ANGH with them for many years, from its beginnings as a short film to its development into a feature, while remaining committed to telling the story on their own terms. She emphasised that the film was not solely the work of the two filmmakers, noting that many people had supported ANGH throughout its journey by contributing their time, talent, resources and belief in the project. She acknowledged that there had been several moments when making the film had seemed almost impossible and said the team would not have reached that point without those who continued to support them.
Beso said the recognition at TIFF meant a great deal to the team and expressed hope that it would encourage other filmmakers to take the leap and tell stories rooted in their communities, experiences, languages and places, even when such stories did not conform to conventional expectations of cinema.
Executive producer Gaurav Dhingra recalled that when he had first seen the rushes of Angh, he had felt that he was looking at something rare—a film born in Nagaland, made by Indigenous filmmakers and carrying the voice of a community that was rarely seen on the world’s biggest screens on its own terms.
He said that seeing the film win the Platform Competition and earn a direct pathway into the Oscars’ International Feature Film category was deeply moving for Angh, its makers, Nagaland, India and independent cinema. He added that in his 25 years of producing films, from Peddlers, Faith Connections and Angry Indian Goddesses to Stolen, he had always believed that the most distinctive cinema began with authenticity,recognising a voice early, believing in it and helping it travel without losing what made it unique.
Dhingra further said that Angh also marked the beginning of Jungle Book Studio’s international sales and distribution journey and that they were proud to connect a deeply rooted story with a global audience. He concluded that if Angh’s journey gave another filmmaker the courage to tell their story in their own voice, its impact would reach far beyond the award.
