Ladakh filmmaker Stanzin Jigmet wins Gold at Student Academy Awards

Stanzin Jigmet, a young filmmaker from Ladakh, has won Gold at the 53rd Student Academy Awards for his film 'The Dragon Letter'. The ceremony was held at the Toronto International Film Festival, where he received the prestigious honour.

Stanzin Jigmet (Image source: Instagram@stanzinjigmet.film)

Making India proud, Stanzin Jigmet, a young filmmaker from Ladakh, has won Gold at the 53rd Student Academy Awards ceremony. He received the prestigious honour for his film 'The Dragon Letter'.

Earlier in August, when the winners were announced, he expressed his happiness through a post on Instagram. Jigmet wrote, "The Dragon Letter @thedragonletter has won a Student Academy Award 2026. From the remote village of Mulbekh in Ladakh, in the Indian Himalayas, to the Academy—this journey still feels unreal. This award belongs to my family, friends, cast, crew, @escac , @pixelchallengerfilms and everyone who believed in me and in this deeply personal story. Where we come from does not limit how far our stories can travel. #TheDragonLetter #StudentAcademyAwards #Ladakh #IndianCinema." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Stanzin Jigmet (@stanzinjigmet.film)

Star-studded Ceremony at TIFF

The 2026 ceremony was held at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Monday. This year, the Student Academy Awards competition received 2,972 entries from 894 colleges and universities worldwide. With remarks by Academy CEO Bill Kramer, Academy Directors Branch Governor and Academy Museum Trustee Jason Reitman and Academy Foundation Board President and Casting Directors Branch Governor Kim Taylor-Coleman, the night’s category presenters included Actors Branch member Gemma Chan, Oscar nominee and Documentary Branch member Liz Garbus and Actors Branch member Gael García Bernal.

About the Filmmaker

Jigmet holds a Master’s degree in Film Directing from ESCAC, Barcelona, Spain. He is also the founder of Pixel Challenger Films, a cinema-grade production house based in Ladakh. (ANI)

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