New York: The 2026 New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) concluded on May 31 with a grand awards ceremony celebrating outstanding achievements in Indian cinema. Held from May 28 to 31, the festival brought together filmmakers, artists, and cinema enthusiasts from across the world, reaffirming its status as North America’s longest-running festival dedicated to Indian independent films.

This year’s edition showcased an impressive selection of films in 15 languages, highlighting the increasing prominence of regional storytelling in Indian cinema. Organized by the Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC), the festival featured 19 narrative feature films, four documentary features, and 27 short films, including several world premieres and a special LGBTQ shorts program.

The evening’s biggest success story was Boong, the acclaimed Manipuri film that earlier this year won the BAFTA Award for Best Children’s and Family Film. The film secured three major honours at NYIFF, including Best Debut Film, selected by the Film Critics Circle of India, Best Director for Lakshmipriya Devi, and Best Child Actor for Gugun Kipgen.

The festival’s top award, Best Film, went to Baksho Bondi (Shadowbox). Other acting honours included Best Actor for Nikhil Yadav for his role in Vimukt and Best Actress for Meenakshi Jayan for Victoria. The Best Screenplay award was presented to Nikhil Mahajan and Prajakt Deshmukh for Tighee.

In the documentary categories, Deja Vu won Best Documentary Feature, while Waai received the award for Best Documentary Short. Jo’s Turn was recognised as Best Narrative Short.

The festival opened with a special screening of Boong and also featured a 4K restored version of the classic film Sholay. Organisers said the festival continues to serve as a vital platform for emerging talent and diverse storytelling, reflecting the richness, creativity, and global appeal of contemporary Indian cinema.