Manipuri short film 'Toy Gun' earns special jury mention at Drishyam 2026 National Documentary & Short Film Festival

The Manipuri short film Toy Gun, produced by Imphal-based first-time producer Khumallambam Omeshwori, has received the Special Jury Mention for Best Film at the Drishyam 2026 National Documentary & Short Film Festival, organised by the Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University.

The film was officially invited and screened in the national selection of the festival held on February 17–18, 2026 at the university campus in Tirur. Drishyam is an academic national film festival that brings together filmmakers, students and scholars from across India to discuss contemporary documentary and short film practices.

Toy Gun is a 14-minute-55-second Manipuri short film about a widowed mother and her young son in a conflict-affected region, where a child’s play with a toy gun begins to awaken memories of real violence and inherited trauma.

Earlier, the film premiered at the Hyderabad International Short Film Festival and received the 1st Runner-Up (Best Short Film of the Year 2025) among hundreds of entries worldwide. It was also officially selected in the Focus Section and screened at the SiGNS Kerala 2026.

The film is written and directed by Thingnam Parshuram, recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar (2023), and produced under the banner Freedom Ekon & Farm House Production.