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Tamil Film Angammal Wins Best Film at New York Indian Film Festival 2025
New York, June 27, 2025 – The Tamil film Angammal, directed by Vipin Radhakrishnan, has won the prestigious Best Film award at the 2025 New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF), one of North America’s oldest and most respected platforms for Indian and diaspora cinema. The festival, held from June 20-22 at Village East by Angelika in Manhattan, celebrated its 25th anniversary this year with a vibrant showcase of 22 feature films and 21 shorts in multiple Indian languages.
Angammal, set in a Tamil Nadu village in the 1990s, is based on Perumal Murugan’s short story Kodithuni. The film tells the moving story of a man who feels embarrassed by his mother’s traditional choice to go blouseless, leading to cultural and generational tensions as his in-laws prepare to visit. Starring Geetha Kailasam as the mother and Saran, known from Vada Chennai, as the son, the film has been praised for its heartfelt storytelling and strong performances. Geetha Kailasam was also nominated for Best Actress at the festival.
“We are extremely happy. This is what we’ve worked hard for, and to see it pay off feels truly gratifying,” said Anjoy Samuel, the film’s cinematographer and producer, in an interview with DT Next. Director Vipin Radhakrishnan expressed pride in his cast and crew, noting that the win could help secure commercial distribution for the film, which is aiming for an August 2025 release.
The 2025 NYIFF, organized by the Indo-American Arts Council, featured a diverse lineup of films in languages like Tamil, Hindi, Assamese, and Bengali. Other notable winners included Humans In The Loop, directed by Aranya Sahay, which won Best Debut Film, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who took home Best Actor for I’m Not an Actor. The festival also made headlines with a surprise appearance by Hollywood legend Robert De Niro, adding to the event’s global appeal.
Angammal’s victory highlights the growing international recognition of Tamil cinema and its ability to tell universal stories rooted in local culture. The film has already been screened at festivals like MAMI in Mumbai and the International Film Festival of Kerala, earning praise for its sensitive portrayal of family dynamics and cultural identity.
“This festival is a home for Indian storytellers,” said Aseem Chhabra, NYIFF festival director. “To have our theaters full and legends like Robert De Niro join us reaffirms NYIFF’s role as a cultural force for Indian cinema in the U.S.”
Angammal’s win is a proud moment for Indian cinema, showcasing its diversity and emotional depth to audiences worldwide.
