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.
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 said, “It is a very special moment for me and for everyone associated with the film. I am aware that it is rare for a debut film to receive this kind of recognition, and all I can say is that we made Angh with a lot of love — for the place I come from, for my people and for our culture. At the heart of the film is the relationship between a father and son, but it is also about letting go, our relationship with home and the transient nature of life. These are some of the most universal emotions, and they belong to all of us. To see Angh connect with audiences beyond our own community has been deeply moving. I feel humbled and grateful. I want to thank the jury for recognising our work and for giving us the opportunity to represent our country and our culture on two of the world’s most prestigious stages — TIFF’s Platform Competition and, soon, the Academy Awards as well.”
Nancy Nisa Beso, the producer of the film added, “my collaboration with Theja has been one of the longest and most meaningful collaborations of my career. We have been carrying Angh with us for many years from the short film to the feature and through all of it, we held on to the belief that this was a story we had to tell, and that we had to tell it on our own terms. As a producer, I have carried a very deep sense of responsibility for this film, to believe in it when the path was uncertain, to keep finding ways to make it possible, and to protect the heart of what Theja wanted to say. But this film was never just made by the two of us. So many people believed in ANGH and came on this journey with us. They gave their time, their talent, their resources and, most importantly, their belief in the film. There were so many moments when making this film felt almost impossible, and we would not be standing here without the people who kept showing up for us. This recognition means so much to us. I hope it also encourages other filmmakers to take that leap and tell the stories that are close to their hearts, stories from their own communities, their own experiences, their own languages and their own corners of the world, even when they don’t fit neatly into what cinema is expected to be. I am incredibly grateful for the love Angh has received at TIFF, and deeply thankful to the Platform jury for recognising the film and giving our story this opportunity to travel further than we ever imagined.”
Executive producer Gaurav Dhingra said, “Some moments become bigger than a film. This is one of them. When I first saw the rushes of Angh, I felt I was looking at something rare, a film born in Nagaland, made by Indigenous filmmakers, carrying the voice of a community rarely seen on the world’s biggest screens on its own terms. To see it win the Platform Competition and earn a direct pathway into the Oscars’ International Feature Film category is deeply moving, for Angh, for its makers, for Nagaland, for India and for independent cinema. In 25 years of producing films, from Peddlers, Faith Connections and Angry Indian Goddesses to Stolen, I’ve always believed the most distinctive cinema begins with authenticity, recognising a voice early, believing in it and making it travel without losing what makes it unique. Angh also marks the beginning of Jungle Book Studio’s international sales and distribution journey, and we’re proud to connect a deeply rooted story with a global audience. If Angh’s journey gives another filmmaker the courage to tell their story in their own voice, then its impact will reach far beyond this award.”
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.
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