Photo Courtesy: nenow
Kohima: Filmmaker Theja Rio touched down at Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport this Tuesday. Members of the Angami Krotho Delhi greeted him upon his return from Toronto. He just secured a win in the Platform Competition at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival for his debut feature, Angh.
Angh stood as the only Indian film chosen for the prestigious Platform section this year. This auteur-driven competition focuses on bold storytelling. The victory grants the film an automatic qualification for consideration in the International Feature Film category at the upcoming Academy Awards.
Rio produced the film alongside Nancy Nisa Beso. Jungle Book Studio holds the international sales rights after picking up the project before its world premiere. Rio reflected on the achievement after arriving in the capital. "It is a very special moment for me and for everyone associated with the film. I am aware that it is rare for a debut film to receive this kind of recognition, and all I can say is that we made Angh with a lot of love – for the place I come from, for my people and for our culture.”
The story unfolds in 1960s Nagaland. It follows an aging Konyak village chief and his son as they cling to ancestral traditions amidst rapid societal shifts. The production used a 16 mm film camera to capture the narrative. The cast includes indigenous Naga actors and BAFTA-winning performer Douglas Henshall.
Comments