Gaumaya Gurung and director Tribeny Rai earned acting and directing honours for Shape of Momo at IFFSA Toronto 2026.
A Woman’s Return Home Drives Shape of Momo, Now a Double Winner in Toronto, Gaumaya Gurung and Tribeny Rai Bring More International Recognition
Shape of Momo has added two more awards to its international festival journey. Lead actress Gaumaya Gurung and director Tribeny Rai earned acting and directing honours at IFFSA Toronto 2026 in Canada.
Gurung won Best Actor in the International Feature category, while Rai received Best Director in the same category. The recognition comes ahead of the film’s London screening, which will also support flood relief in Nepal.
The International Film Festival of South Asia held its 15th edition from October 8 to 18.
Also known as Chhora Jastai, the Nepali language drama marks Rai’s feature directorial debut. Set in Sikkim, the India-South Korea production follows a woman whose return home brings difficult questions about family, tradition and independence.
Gurung plays Bishnu, who leaves her job in Delhi and returns to her family home in the mountains. Among three generations of women, she encounters familiar expectations about marriage, responsibility and how she should live.
Even making momos becomes a test. Their shape reflects the standards placed on women, turning an everyday kitchen task into a telling part of Bishnu’s struggle.
Through these family encounters, the film explores how women inherit expectations and what happens when someone begins to question them.
Pashupati Rai, Shyama Shree Sherpa and Rahul Mukhia also feature in the cast.
Shape of Momo | Chhora Jastai
The Toronto awards follow recognition in South Korea, India, Russia and the United States. Shape of Momo won the Songwon Vision Award and Taipei Film Commission Award at the 2025 Busan International Film Festival.
It also received the Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Award for Best Film in Indian Languages at the 2025 Kolkata International Film Festival. In June, it won Best Feature Film at the Nepal America International Film Festival 2026 in Maryland.
Next, London audiences can watch the film at the Brunei Gallery, SOAS University of London, on October 30, 2026. The screening begins at 6:30pm, with English subtitles and a live question-and-answer session.
Khula Akash Media, Hamro Dabali and The Critical Himalayan Collective are presenting the event.
Organisers say a percentage of ticket sales will go to Nepal’s Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund, supporting families affected by floods in Rasuwa.
