For countless young storytellers across India, the journey to becoming a filmmaker often ends before it begins — derailed by financial barriers, lack of access, or simply being born far from the industry’s heartland. A new initiative, the Screen Academy, is looking to change that.
Launched by The Indian Express Group and Screen, the Screen Academy is a not-for-profit programme designed to identify, support, and celebrate emerging voices in Indian cinema — particularly those with talent but limited means. The fellowship will provide full financial support for postgraduate film education, coupled with mentorship from some of the most respected names in the industry.
Among those backing the initiative are Oscar and Cannes awardees like Guneet Monga, Payal Kapadia, Resul Pookutty, and veteran screenwriter Anjum Rajabali — part of an expanding list of mentors who will offer students guidance, masterclasses, and access to real-world opportunities.
The fellowships, set to begin in 2025, will be available at India’s premier film institutions — including the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune, Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute in Kolkata, and Whistling Woods International in Mumbai. Each year, these institutes will nominate students who show exceptional promise but face financial obstacles.
Anant Goenka, Executive Director of The Indian Express Group, described the initiative as “a bold step toward institutionalising excellence in the entertainment and culture space.”
The Lodha Foundation, led by Abhishek Lodha, has come on board as the founding patron. Lodha called the academy’s mission vital to India’s soft power ambitions and cultural progress, as the country moves toward becoming a developed nation by 2047.
What sets the programme apart isn’t just funding — it’s the deeper integration with the film ecosystem. The academy will act as a bridge between academia and industry, ensuring that support doesn’t end with a degree. Students will be placed into real-world production environments, work alongside top studios, and receive guidance from professionals who have themselves navigated similar journeys.
Faculty across the three participating institutes welcomed the move. Officials from FTII and the Satyajit Ray Institute highlighted how students from remote or underrepresented regions often bring bold, fresh ideas — but struggle to pay for the education needed to realise them. A structured fellowship like Screen Academy’s, they said, plugs that gap.
Alongside its educational mission, the Academy will also oversee a reinvigorated version of the Screen Awards, judged by a credible panel of critics and experts to spotlight creative and technical brilliance in Indian entertainment.
In a country where the next great filmmaker could be growing up in a village, watching bootleg movies on an old TV, initiatives like the Screen Academy remind us that the future of Indian cinema lies not in glossy studios — but in unfiltered stories waiting to be told.
