India, Sept. 21 -- Filmmaker Theja Rio has just pulled off a first for Nagaland at the Toronto International Film Festival. His debut feature Angh won the Platform Prize, making it the first film from the state to take home the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2026 award. The award was announced on Sunday, September 20. Angh was the only Indian film in this year's Platform programme, which featured 12 films and is TIFF's only juried competition.

Casting Angh was another challenge because Nagaland does not have a large professional film industry. Theja, who is 31, was born in Kohima, studied in Delhi and later graduated from the UK's National Film and Television School. Instead of looking only for trained actors, he ...