India’s ‘Angh’ takes top prize at Toronto International Film Festival, putting Nagaland on Oscar path

Highlights

• Angh, the feature directorial debut of Theja Rio, has won the top prize in the Toronto International Film Festival’s Platform section.
• The film, set in Nagaland in the 1960s, centers on an elderly Konyak chief and his son.
• The Toronto win gives Angh an automatic place in the 2027 Oscars’ international feature film race.

India’s Angh has won the top award in the Toronto International Film Festival’s Platform section, bringing international attention to a story rooted in Nagaland and giving the film a direct path into the 2027 Oscars’ international feature film race.

Directed by Theja Rio, Angh is the filmmaker’s feature directorial debut and was the only Indian film selected for this year’s Platform section.

A story rooted in Nagaland

Set in Nagaland during the 1960s, Angh follows an elderly Konyak chief and his son, who are among the last people in their village holding on to their ancestral beliefs as their community undergoes major changes.

The film’s cast largely comes from Indigenous Naga communities, alongside BAFTA winner Douglas Henshall.

Rio said the recognition was particularly meaningful because of the film’s connection to his home, people and culture.

“It is a very special moment for me and for everyone associated with the film,” Rio said. He added that the story is ultimately about the relationship between a father and son, as well as letting go, home and the temporary nature of life.

Toronto win opens Oscar pathway

The Platform section win gives Angh an automatic berth in the international feature film race at the 2027 Academy Awards.

However, the film is not India’s official submission for the category. India has selected Gondhal as its official entry for the international feature film category.

Angh’s Toronto recognition therefore gives it a separate route into Oscar contention, rather than replacing India’s official submission.

Indigenous filmmakers tell their story

Angh was produced by Nancy Nisa Beso and Rio, with the project developing over several years from a short film into a feature.

Beso described the collaboration as one of the longest and most meaningful of her career, saying the filmmakers remained committed to telling the story on their own terms.

Executive producer Gaurav Dhingra called the Toronto recognition a moment that was “bigger than a film”, highlighting the significance of a film born in Nagaland and made by Indigenous filmmakers.

Angh also marks the feature debut of Winter Hymns Films, a Nagaland-based production house previously known for short films on the festival circuit. The film was also produced through Undercover Squirrel, a media company working across film, documentaries, digital media and commercials.

International and local distribution is being handled by Jungle Book Studio, which acquired the film’s global sales rights before its Toronto premiere.