Toronto: Nagaland filmmaker Theja Rio has won the Platform Prize at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) for his debut feature film Angh, which explores cultural change, identity and the erosion of traditional life in 1960s Nagaland.

The film had its world premiere at TIFF on September 15 and was among 12 films selected for the Platform programme, the festival’s only juried competition.

The Platform jury, headed by Argentine filmmaker Pablo Trapero, praised Rio’s distinctive filmmaking and his portrayal of a rapidly changing world. The prize carries a cash award of CAD 20,000.

Angh follows a Konyak chief and his son as they face cultural erasure following the arrival of an American missionary in Nagaland. The film was shot on 16mm by cinematographer Adam Pietkiewicz, who also received the TIFF Variety Artisan Award for his work on the film.

The film is produced by Nancy Nisa Beso and Theja Rio, while Jungle Book Studio is handling its international and domestic distribution. Under TIFF’s new Oscar eligibility arrangement, Angh also gets a direct pathway to consideration for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.