Hyderabad: Toy Gun, a short film written and directed by Manipuri filmmaker Parshuram Thingnam, has won the 1st Runner-Up award for Best Short Film of the Year 2025 at the Hyderabad International Short Film Festival (HISFF), held at Prasads Multiplex from December 19 to 21.
Out of 705 films submitted from across the world, only 60 were officially selected for screening at the festival. From this shortlist, the jury selected Toy Gun among the top three short films of the year.
In the Best Short Film of the Year 2025 category, Sarnevshent from Iran won the top prize, receiving a memento, certificate and a cash award of ₹1 lakh.
Toy Gun secured the 1st Runner-Up position with a memento, certificate and ₹75,000, while My Father Is Afraid of Water, also from India, won the 2nd Runner-Up award along with ₹50,000.
Toy Gun is a poignant narrative that explores childhood innocence in conflict-affected regions, where even a toy can reflect the presence of real violence.
Through a restrained and poetic storytelling approach, the film examines fear, motherhood and the lasting psychological impact of guns—real or perceived—on young minds.
The recognition is particularly significant as Toy Gun marks Thingnam’s debut film. It was also the film’s first public screening, first festival appearance and first major award, signalling the emergence of a promising new voice in Indian independent cinema rooted in lived experience and subtle storytelling.
Parshuram Thingnam is a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar (2023) for his contribution to contemporary Manipuri literature, making Toy Gun a notable transition from literature to cinema.
The film is produced by Khumallambam Omeshwori and features performances by National Award–winning actor Leishangthem Tonthoi, along with Thingnam Parihanba and Irengbam Premananda.
The festival concluded on Sunday, reaffirming the Hyderabad International Short Film Festival’s growing stature as a global platform for socially relevant and artistically bold short films.
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