, Sept. 15 -- Ladakh filmmaker Stanzin Jigmet has won the Gold award at the 53rd Student Academy Awards for his film "The Dragon Letter," bringing international recognition to Indian cinema.

The awards ceremony was held on Sept. 14 during the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

This year, the Student Academy Awards received 2,972 submissions from students representing 894 colleges and universities around the world, according to ANI.

Jigmet had earlier shared a note on Instagram in August after the winners were announced.

"The Dragon Letter @thedragonletter has won a Student Academy Award 2026. From the remote village of Mulbekh in Ladakh, in the Indian Himalayas, to the Academy - this journey still feels unreal," he wrote.

He...