Stanzin Jigmet, an Indian filmmaker from Ladakh, has won the Gold award in the Narrative category at the 53rd Student Academy Awards for his film The Dragon Letter. Jigmet, who studied film directing at Escola Superior de Cinema i Audiovisuals de Catalunya (ESCAC) in Barcelona, Spain, was among the student filmmakers honoured at a ceremony held on September 14 on the sidelines of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

The 2026 Student Academy Awards received 2,972 entries from students representing 894 colleges and universities worldwide. Jigmet’s The Dragon Letter won the Narrative category, while Antoine Boulanger’s received Silver and Leon Korzyński’s Kamathipura Express received Bronze.