For decades, the route to the Oscar for Best International Feature Film has been straightforward: each country selects one film to represent it at the Academy Awards.
But this year, India has two films in the race.
Marathi thriller Gondhal, directed by Santosh Davakhar, was selected from 33 contenders as India's official submission for the 99th Academy Awards, to be held in March next year. But Theja Rio's Nagaland-set drama Angh has now secured its own place in contention after winning the Platform Prize at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday.
This is owing to a significant rule change introduced by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the 2027 Oscars, creating a second pathway into the best international feature category.
Under the new rules, countries and regions can continue to select one official submission through their Academy-approved selection committees. However, non-English-language films can now also be submitted if they win one of six designated prizes at major international film festivals.
Those are the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival, the Best Film award at the Busan International Film Festival, Palme d'Or at Cannes, World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, Platform Prize at Toronto and Golden Lion at Venice.
As such, Angh's victory in Toronto has given the film a separate route into the same Oscar race as Gondhal.
What is Angh about?
Angh is set in Nagaland in north-east India, a region rarely depicted on screen. Set in the 1960s, it centres on an ageing Konyak village chief and his son as their traditional way of life is threatened by the arrival of an American Christian missionary.
The film is Rio's feature directorial debut and grew out of a short film he made in 2018. It was among the films considered for India's official Oscar submission before Gondhal was ultimately selected.
The Toronto International Film Festival jury praised Angh “for its refreshing perspective, strength of filmmaking and deeply resonant portrait of a world”.
“We praise the filmmaker’s vision, audacity and courage,” the jury said.
What is Gondhal about?
Gondhal is rooted in the traditional Maharashtrian ritual and folk performance from which it takes its name.
Set during a traditional Gondhal ceremony in rural Maharashtra, it centres on Suman, who is desperate to escape an abusive marriage, and conspires with her lover to kill her husband and start a new life.
It was chosen by the Film Federation of India from 33 submissions to represent the country at the Oscars.
Davakhar won the Silver Peacock for Best Director for the film at the International Film Festival of India.
Why did the Oscars change the rules?
The Academy announced the change in May as part of a broader overhaul of its rules for the 99th Oscars.
Previously, the international feature award category relied on national or regional selection committees, meaning that even internationally acclaimed films could miss out on consideration if another production was chosen to represent their country.
The new system retains that national selection process but supplements it with the six festival awards, allowing qualifying films to be submitted independently.
The change is particularly significant for countries with large and linguistically diverse film industries such as India, where dozens of films can compete for a single official submission slot each year.
There has also been another significant change to the category. From the 99th Oscars, the film itself, rather than its country or region, will officially be credited as the nominee, with the director accepting the award on behalf of its creative team.
Gondhal and Angh must still make it through the Academy's voting process before reaching the final five nominees for best international feature.
When will the Oscars shortlist be announced?
The deadline for films to be submitted for best international feature is September 30. Preliminary voting will then take place from December 7 to 11, with the shortlist announced on December 15.
Nominations voting will run from January 11 to 15, with the final five nominees for the category announced alongside the other Oscar nominations on January 21.
The 99th Academy Awards will take place on March 14, 2027.
