Nagaland-set film ‘Angh’, the feature directorial debut of Theja Rio, has earned a direct route into the 2027 Academy Awards after winning the Platform Prize at the Toronto International Film Festival 2026.The film was the only Indian title selected for TIFF’s Platform Competition this year. The win now places ‘Angh’ alongside ‘Gondhal’, Santosh Davakhar’s Marathi film that was India’s official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards.Under the Academy’s new rules, the win at TIFF, means Angh can enter the Oscar race independently, irrespective of being India’s official submission or not. The film now has a chance to compete and score a nomination in the Foreign Film category, alongside other international films.Theja Rio’s ‘Angh’ revolves around Anghba, the last surviving chief of an abandoned Indigenous Naga village in the 1960s. Living in isolation with his ailing wife and mute young son after being deserted by his people, he fights a lonely battle of survival as the world around him is altered forever.The film stars BAFTA Award-winning actor Douglas Henshall alongside Indigenous actors from Nagaland. It was adapted from Rio’s 2021 short film of the same name.The TIFF Platform jury praised the film for its “refreshing perspective, strength of filmmaking, and deeply resonant portrait of a world”, while also commending Rio’s “vision, audacity and courage”.Reacting to the win, 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.”The TIFF victory follows another recognition for ‘Angh’ cinematographer Adam Pietkiewicz, who received the TIFF Variety Artisan Award for his work on the film. The 2026 Platform Competition featured 12 films from around the world.Meanwhile, ‘Gondhal’, written and directed by Davakhar, remains India’s official submission for the 2027 Oscars. The Marathi thriller is rooted in Maharashtra’s traditional Gondhal ritual and folk-performance tradition. The film reportedly beat out 33 films to become the country’s official selection.
