The BAFTA-winning Manipuri film Boong emerged as the biggest winner at the 2026 New York Indian Film Festival, taking home three awards, including Best Debut Film, Best Director and Best Child Actor.
The festival concluded on Sunday after a four-day run in New York, celebrating excellence in Indian independent cinema.
Directed by Lakshmipriya Devi, Boong won the Best Debut Film award, selected by the Film Critics Circle of India, while Devi was honoured with the Best Director award.
Young actor Gugun Kipgen received the Best Child Actor award for his performance in the film. Earlier this year, Boong made history by winning a BAFTA in the Best Children’s and Family Film category.
The festival’s top honour, Best Film, went to Baksho Bondi (Shadowbox). Other major acting awards included Best Actor for Nikhil Yadav for his role in Vimukt and Best Actress for Meenakshi Jayan for Victoria.
The Best Screenplay award was presented to Nikhil Mahajan and Prajakt Deshmukh for Tighee.
In the documentary categories, Deja Vu won Best Documentary Feature, while Waai received Best Documentary Short. The Best Narrative Short award went to Jo’s Turn.
Presented by the Indo-American Arts Council, the festival was held from May 28 to 31 and featured films in 15 languages, highlighting the growing prominence of regional storytelling in Indian cinema.
This year’s programme included 19 feature narratives, four documentary features and 27 short films, along with several world premieres and a special LGBTQ-focused shorts section.
The festival opened on May 29 with a special screening of Boong and also showcased a restored 4K version of the classic Hindi film Sholay.
Organisers described the event as an important platform for promoting Indian independent cinema internationally and supporting emerging filmmakers.
IAAC Chairman Nirmal Mattoo said the festival serves as a cultural bridge that showcases the diversity and artistic excellence of Indian cinema, while Festival Director Aseem Chhabra praised the range and depth of storytelling represented in this year’s selection. (PTI)
