Indian film ‘Angh’ wins Platform Prize at TIFF 2026, secures Oscar qualification

The Indian film “Angh”, the feature debut of director Theja Rio, won the Platform Prize at the 51st edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF 2026). The winners were announced at the closing press conference at TIFF Lightbox on September 20, 2026.

Platform is TIFF’s only juried competitive section. Launched in 2015 and inspired by the cinema of Jia Zhang-ke, the section expanded to 12 films this year. The jury was chaired by Pablo Trapero, alongside Amma Asante, Sylvia Chang, Luc Déry and Albert Lee; the prize comes with CAD 20,000. In its statement, the jury praised “a fresh perspective, the force of its filmmaking and a deeply resonant portrait of a world”, as well as “the director’s vision, courage and bravery”.

A historic win: under a new Academy rule, the Platform Prize winner now qualifies directly for the Oscar race for Best International Feature — provided the film is predominantly in a non-English language. TIFF is one of only six festivals in the world offering a direct route to the Oscars. Also benefiting from the new rule are Turkey’s “Yellow Letters” (Golden Bear in Berlin) and Denmark’s “Woman Unknown” (Golden Lion in Venice).

The Platform Special Jury Prize went to “Brace Your Heart (Garrat Du Váimmu)”, directed by Amanda Kernell.

“Angh” is shot in the Konyak language and set in the 1960s in Nagaland, near the India–Myanmar border. It follows Anghba, the last chief of an abandoned Konyak Naga village, living in isolation with his ailing wife and mute young son; the arrival of an American missionary (played by Douglas Henshall) challenges their traditions. The film was shot on 16mm and expands on Rio’s 2021 short of the same title, which won the Special Jury Prize at Clermont-Ferrand. Theja Rio is a writer and director from Nagaland based in London, a graduate of the National Film and Television School. The world premiere took place on September 15, 2026 at TIFF, and “Angh” was the only Indian film in the Platform section this year.

Source: moviemovesme.com