Manipuri Film ‘Boong’ Wins Three Awards At New York Indian Film Festival

Manipuri film Boong won three awards at the New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF), which concluded on May 31, 2026.

The film received the awards for Best Debut Film, Best Director (Lakshmipriya Devi), and Best Child Actor (Gugun Kipgen).

Written and directed by Lakshmipriya Devi, Boong follows a young boy from Manipur as he sets out on a journey to reunite his family. The film stars Gugun Kipgen and Bala Hijam and had its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.

The latest honours add to the film’s growing list of international achievements.

Earlier this year, Boong made history by becoming the first Indian film to win the BAFTA Award for Best Children’s and Family Film. Producers, including Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, back the film.

Before its BAFTA win, Boong was recognised at several international festivals. It won the Best Youth Film award at the 17th Asia Pacific Screen Awards and received the Excellence in Feature Filmmaking award at the International South Asian Film Festival in Canada.

Young actor Gugun Kipgen also earned a Special Mention for Best Actor at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne.

The New York Indian Film Festival is among the leading showcases of Indian independent cinema in North America and annually features films from different regions and languages of India.

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