‘Shape of Momo’ bags Best Director and Best Actor awards at IFFSA Toronto
Tribeny Rai and Gaumaya Gurung won directing and acting honours at IFFSA Toronto. The double victory marks another milestone in Shape of Momo’s international festival journey.
- Oct 27, 2026,
- Updated Oct 27, 2026, 6:10 PM IST
- Rai’s debut feature continues its international festival journey after October announcement
- Set in Sikkim, the Nepali-language film follows Bishnu returning home
- Her story explores identity, belonging, generational relationships and personal freedom
Sikkim filmmaker Tribeny Rai and actor Gaumaya Gurung have won the Best Director and Best Actor awards, respectively, in the International Feature Film section at the International Film Festival of South Asia (IFFSA) Toronto for the Nepali-language film Shape of Momo.
The awards were announced on October 21, marking another milestone in the international festival journey of Rai’s debut feature film.
Set in Sikkim, Shape of Momo follows Bishnu, a young woman who returns to her ancestral Himalayan village after quitting her job. The film explores identity, belonging, relationships across generations and the tension between family expectations and personal freedom.
Rai’s direction has been recognised for its understated storytelling and portrayal of everyday life in the Eastern Himalayas. Gurung’s performance as Bishnu has also drawn recognition for capturing the character’s emotional struggles and her search for personal independence.
Reacting to the double win, Rai said, “We’ve almost reached the final leg of our festival journey, and it’s such a joy to be winning together with Gaumaya. It feels like we’ve come full circle.”
The film, which was released in select theatres in India and Nepal earlier this year, continues to bring contemporary Nepali-language cinema from Sikkim to international audiences through its festival screenings and accolades.
