TIFF 2026: Theja Rio’s Angh wins Platform Prize, puts Nagaland story on global stage
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "TIFF 2026: Theja Rio’s Angh wins Platform Prize, puts Nagaland story on global stage")
Scene from Angh (L), Theja Rio (R) Photograph: (X/IMDb)
Theja Rio’s debut film Angh has bagged the Platform Prize at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival. The film is set in 1960s Nagaland.
Theja Rio’s Angh's win has once again put India in the global spotlight, with the Nagaland-set film winning the Platform Prize at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The debut feature, set in the 1960s, brings a story rooted in Nagaland’s Konyak community to one of the world’s major film festivals.
Angh's major milestone at TIFF 2026
Nagaland filmmaker Theja Rio has achieved a major international milestone with his debut feature, Angh, winning the Platform Prize at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival. The win comes with a trophy and a CAD 20,000 cash prize.
The award was announced on September 20 as TIFF concluded its 51st edition. The Platform jury praised Angh for its fresh perspective, filmmaking strength and deeply resonant portrayal of its world, while also recognising Rio’s vision and courage as a filmmaker. Angh was the sole Indian film selected for the 12-title Platform competition at TIFF 2026.
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What is Angh about?
Set in the early 1960s, Angh takes viewers into a remote village in Nagaland near the India-Myanmar border. The story centres on Anghba, the last surviving chief of an abandoned Konyak village, who lives there with his ailing wife and young son.
His isolated life begins to change when an American missionary arrives. The arrival brings new religious and social influences into the community, forcing Anghba to confront changes that threaten the traditions and identity of his people. The film therefore uses one family's experience to explore a much wider period of cultural transformation in Nagaland.
Does Angh get a pathway for Oscar?
The film Angh secured a direct pathway to consideration for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film by winning the Platform Prize at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
Under a new arrangement introduced by the Academy and TIFF, winning the non-English-language Platform Prize grants the film an automatic, direct pathway/eligibility for consideration in the Best International Feature Film category.
