Bafta-winning film Boong, directed by Lakshmipriya Devi, has earned three awards at the New York Indian Film Festival, with its young lead receiving the Best Child Actor trophy.
While Baksho Bondi (Shadowbox) took home the festival’s top prize for Best Film, Boong led the winners’ list with three awards.
The Manipuri film earned Best Debut Film, Best Director for Lakshmipriya Devi and Best Child Actor for Gugun Kipgen.
Boong had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2024. The film has also been screened at several international and Indian festivals, including the Warsaw International Film Festival 2024, MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2024, the 55th International Film Festival of India, and the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2025.
Backed by actor-producers Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, Boong follows the story of a young boy (Gugun Kipgen) from the valley of Manipur, who sets out to surprise his mother with a gift. In his innocence, he believes that bringing his father back home would be the most special present. His journey in search of his father ultimately leads to an unexpected gift — a new beginning.
The coming-of-age drama won the Best Children’s and Family Film award at the 2026 Bafta ceremony held at the Royal Festival Hall in London on February 22. The film was previously released in selected theatres in India last September.
The film marks the first feature-length directorial venture for Devi, who previously worked as a first assistant director on Excel Entertainment projects such as Luck by Chance and Talaash, as well as Aamir Khan-starrer PK and Mira Nair’s series A Suitable Boy.
The New York Indian Film Festival 2026 ended its four-day showcase on Sunday, with honours presented across ten categories highlighting excellence in Indian cinema.
Held from May 28 to 31, the festival featured films in 15 languages, bringing together filmmakers, actors and industry professionals at North America’s longest-running festival dedicated to independent Indian films.
Organised by the Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC), the festival showcased 19 narrative features, four documentary features and 27 narrative and documentary shorts, with several titles making their world premiere alongside a special LGBTQ shorts section.