New York Indian Film Festival: Manipuri film 'Boong' emerges as big winner; takes home 3 awards

BAFTA-winning Manipuri film 'Boong' took home three awards at the just-concluded New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF), including the best child actor honour for its young protagonist.

The New York Indian Film Festival 2026 concluded its four-day run Sunday with an awards ceremony, honouring the finest in Indian cinema across ten competitive categories.


The festival, held from May 28 to 31, showcased a diverse slate of films across 15 languages, "underscoring the growing dominance of regional storytelling in contemporary Indian cinema", bringing together filmmakers and artists at North America's longest-running festival dedicated to Indian independent cinema.



This year's edition of the film festival, presented by the Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC), included 19 narrative (features), four documentaries (features) and 27 shorts (narratives and documentaries) including several world premieres, and a special LGBTQ shorts program.

'Baksho Bondi' (Shadowbox) won the festival's top honour, winning Best Film, while Boong, the Manipuri film that created history by winning the prestigious BAFTA award in the Best Children's and Family Film category in February this year, emerged as the biggest winner of the evening with three awards - the Best Debut Film (selected by the Film Critics Circle of India), the Best Director for Lakshmipriya Devi, and the Best Child Actor for Gugun Kipgen.

Nikhil Yadav was named the Best Actor for his performance in 'Vimukt', while Meenakshi Jayan took home the Best Actress award for 'Victoria'. The Best Screenplay honour went to Nikhil Mahajan and Prajakt Deshmukh for 'Tighee'. In the non-fiction categories, 'Deja Vu' won Best Documentary Feature and 'Waai' claimed Best Documentary Short, while 'Jo's Turn' won Best Narrative Short.

The festival concluded with the glittering awards ceremony attended by prominent members of the Indian-American diaspora community, filmmakers and movie enthusiasts.

The festival, which showcased the 4K restored version of cult classic 'Sholay', opened with a special screening of 'Boong' on May 29.

IAAC chairman Dr Nirmal Mattoo said before the commencement of the festival that NYIFF stands as a powerful cultural bridge. "The 2026 lineup and nominations reaffirm our commitment to showcasing the richness, diversity, and artistic excellence of Indian cinema on an international stage."

Festival Director Aseem Chhabra had said that the films nominated at this year's edition represented the range and depth of storytelling in India today.

"From human dramas to comedies, and narratives that reflect the angst of Millennials and Gen Z, these works reflect a cinema that is both rooted and globally resonant," he had said.

IAAC had said that NYIFF 2026 continues its dual mission of championing emerging voices while honouring cinematic excellence, reinforcing its position as a key global platform for Indian Independent Cinema.

Executive Director of IAAC Suman Gollamudi had said NYIFF continues to serve as a critical launchpad for independent filmmakers on the global stage and remains committed to amplifying distinctive voices across Indian cinema.