The film 'Ang', set against the backdrop of Nagaland, has achieved significant international success. This feature-length work, which is director Tejia Rio's debut feature film, won a prestigious award in the Platform Competition at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2026. The film received the top prize in this category on Sunday.
Thanks to this victory, 'Ang' automatically qualified for consideration in the 'International Feature Film' category at the 2027 Academy Awards ceremony. It is worth noting that 'Ang' was the only Indian film selected for the Platform TIFF competition this year.
The Platform Competition is one of TIFF's key sections, known for focusing on directors and films with a unique cinematic language and a distinct narrative style. Starting this year, winners of the Platform Competition are automatically qualified for consideration in the Academy's 'International Feature Film' category.
'Ang' tells the story of events in Nagaland during the 1960s. The plot centers around the elder of a Konyak village and his son. Both characters are part of the last people trying to preserve their traditional beliefs and way of life amidst a rapidly changing world. Tejia Rio produced this feature film based on his short film of the same name, released in 2021.
Shot on 16mm film, the movie features local Naga indigenous actors and BAFTA laureate Douglas Henshell. The central themes of the film are tradition, faith, family, memory, and the transforming cultural landscape. The film was produced by Nancy Nisa Beso and Tejia Rio. Before its world premiere at TIFF, Jungle Book Studios acquired the international distribution rights, and this studio is responsible for the film's international and domestic release.
Following the triumphant recognition, 31-year-old director Tejia Rio called this moment extremely important both for himself and for everyone involved in creating the film. He noted that receiving such recognition for a debut film is rare. According to Rio, he created 'Ang' with love for his place, his people, and his culture, from where he originates.
He added that the film focuses on the relationship between father and son, but also touches upon themes of letting go, connection to home, and the transience of life. Rio emphasized that these feelings are universal and understandable to everyone. For him, it was very moving to see the film resonate with audiences outside of his community.
Nancy Nisa Beso, the film's producer, stated that collaborating with Tejia has been one of the longest and most significant in her career. She shared that they accompanied 'Ang' from a short film to a feature-length format over many years. Throughout this journey, she maintained confidence that this story needed to be told and should be presented in its own form.
Executive Producer Gaurav Dhingra shared that when he first saw footage from 'Ang', he felt like he was witnessing something rare. He noted that such a film, created by indigenous filmmakers from Nagaland, brings the voice of a community to the world's big screens, a community that usually does not have the opportunity to see itself under such circumstances. Dhingra stressed that winning the Platform Competition and gaining automatic direct entry into the Oscar's 'International Feature Film' category is hugely significant for 'Ang', its creators, Nagaland, India, and independent cinema. Gaurav Dhingra previously worked on films such as 'Peddlers', 'Faith Connections', 'Stolen', and 'Angry Indian Goddesses'. He expressed pride in the ability to bring a story deeply rooted in heritage to a global audience.