The competitive line-up featured a diverse collection of 19 feature films, four documentaries, and 27 short films.
The highly acclaimed Manipuri feature film 'Boong' emerged as a major winner at the recently concluded New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) 2026, securing three top honors. Fresh off its historic milestone at the BAFTA awards earlier this year, the film swept the ceremony by winning Best Debut Film, Best Director for Laxmipriya Devi, and Best Child Actor for young talent Gugun Kipgen.
In the individual performance categories, Nikhil Yadav was named Best Actor for his role in ‘Vimukt,’ while Meenakshi Jayan took home the Best Actress trophy for her performance in ‘Victoria.’ The award for Best Screenplay went to Nikhil Mahajan and Prajakt Deshmukh for their work on the film ‘Tighe.’
Organized by the Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC), the four-day independent cinematic event concluded its 2026 run with a grand awards gala. The competitive line-up featured a diverse collection of 19 feature films, four documentaries, and 27 short films spanning 15 different languages, emphasizing the growing influence of regional storytelling.
Among other major categories, the festival's top honor for Best Film went to ‘Baksho Bondi.’ Meanwhile, ‘Deja Vu’ won Best Documentary, ‘Y’ secured Best Short Documentary, and ‘Jo’s Turn’ was named Best Narrative Short.
Addressing the significance of the cultural gathering, IAAC officials noted that the annual lineup serves as a crucial international bridge highlighting the artistic evolution and diversity of contemporary Indian cinema.
