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Theja Rio’s Angh Wins TIFF Platform Prize for Nagaland Story
Theja Rio is a filmmaker from Nagaland, India.
His first feature film is called Angh.
The film won the Platform Prize at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival.
It also received a trophy and CAD 20,000.
Angh is set in the early 1960s in a village near the India-Myanmar border.
The main character is Anghba, an aging village chief living with his sick wife and young son.
An American missionary arrives and brings changes to the community.
The film shows how these changes affect the family and the traditions of the Konyak people.
The prize also gives the film a pathway to consideration for an international-film Oscar.
Theja Rio’s debut feature Angh won the Platform Prize at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival.
The award includes a trophy and a CAD 20,000 cash prize.
Angh was the only Indian film selected for TIFF’s 12-title Platform competition.
Set in the early 1960s, the film follows a Konyak village chief near the India-Myanmar border.
The Platform Prize gives Angh a direct pathway to consideration for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.
- Who
- Nagaland filmmaker Theja Rio and his debut feature Angh.
- What
- Angh won the Platform Prize at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival.
- Where
- At the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto; the film is set in a village in Nagaland near the India-Myanmar border.
- When
- The award was announced on September 20, 2026, as TIFF concluded its 51st edition.
- Why
- The film was recognised for its fresh perspective, filmmaking strength, resonant portrayal of its setting, and Rio’s vision and courage.
Key facts
- Film
- Angh
- Director
- Theja Rio
- Award
- Platform Prize
- Festival
- 2026 Toronto International Film Festival
- Prize
- Trophy and CAD 20,000 cash award
- Setting
- Early 1960s, in a remote Nagaland village near the India-Myanmar border
- Oscar pathway
- Direct pathway to consideration for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film
Sources
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