Theja Rio's feature directorial debut Angh has won the Platform Competition at the Toronto International Film Festival, automatically qualifying the film for consideration in the International Feature Film category at the 2027 Academy Awards.
Angh, which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last week, was India's sole entry at the Platform segment of TIFF, which is a juried competition focused on innovative voices in filmmaking. The film, shot on 16mm, takes place in Nagaland during the '60s and centers on the lives of a Konyak village chief along with his son who adhere to their ancient traditions despite all that is happening around them. Alongside an indigenous Naga ensemble, the film stars BAFTA Award-winning actor Douglas Henshall.
Produced by Nancy Nisa Beso and Theja Rio, the film will see international and domestic distribution by Jungle Book Studios after picking up rights before the festival. Rio stated that winning the award meant everything to him since he created it "out of sheer love – for my homeland, my tribe, and our tradition."
Speaking further, the filmmaker revealed that although Angh was ultimately a story about two generations of a family and their journey together, it was fundamentally about "letting go" and the bond between oneself and one's native place. The producers and writers of this film revealed how much effort went into making this movie a success, stating how they remained true to themselves throughout their process as well.
Executive producer Gaurav Dhingra said the award is important both for Nagaland, for India as a whole as well as for indie cinema, adding that this victory also heralds Jungle Book Studio’s foray into international sales & distribution.