- Will identify, nurture Indian Cinema’s most exciting voices of the future.
- New not-for-profit initiative will provide postgraduate fellowships to top film school students annually, supported by industry mentorship; Cannes and
Oscar winners, Guneet Monga, Payal Kapadia, Resul Pookutty amongst its members.
The Indian Express Group and Screen announced Wednesday the launch of Screen Academy, a pioneering not-for-profit initiative that will nurture and showcase exciting new voices in Indian cinema. With an exciting and fast-growing list of diverse members including Cannes and Oscar winners, Guneet Monga, Payal Kapadia and Resul Pookutty, and veteran screenwriter Anjum Rajabali, the Academy, working with India’s top film institutes, will identify and empower the next generation of filmmakers through education, representation, and recognition.
Established with the generous support of Founding Patron Abhishek Lodha of the Lodha Foundation, Screen Academy will annually provide postgraduate fellowships to students nominated by their film schools, who demonstrate exceptional storytelling
potential but lack the financial resources to pursue formal film education. (For details of the application process visit (www.screenacademy.org).
Chief Minister of Maharashtra Shri Devendra Fadnavis said the timing and the location couldn’t be more relevant. “The film industry has an inseparable association with Mumbai. I am thrilled to learn of the inception of the not-for-profit Screen Academy by The Indian Express Group. I am certain that the Indian film industry will benefit immensely from the new filmmaking talent the academy aims to cultivate.”
Said Anant Goenka, Executive Director of The Indian Express Group, who steered the idea of the Academy: “Screen Academy represents a bold step toward institutionalising excellence in the entertainment and culture space. We will create an ecosystem that not only celebrates excellence but actively nurtures diverse and promising talent with both financial aid and access.”
For Abhishek Lodha, the Academy’s work is key to India’s soft power and growth as a global leader in the creative arts;”The Lodha Foundation is committed to supporting India’s progress to becoming a developed nation by 2047. Films and creative arts are a key strength of our nation and the Screen Academy will play an important role in furthering India’s progress to a global leader in this field. The Lodha Foundation is pleased to partner with the Screen Academy in this ambitious initiative.”
Screen Academy Members reflect a diverse list with representation across the industry.
● Guneet Monga – Oscar-winning Producer Payal Kapadia – Cannes Grand Prix winner and Golden Globe nominee
● Resul Pookutty – Oscar-winning Sound Designer
● Ronnie Screwvala – Founder of RSVP Films and Upgrad
● Subhash Ghai – Director/Producer and Founder Whistling Woods International
Full list of Screen Academy members will be released shortly on www.screenacademy.org
Recognition of Excellence
In addition to its educational mission, Screen Academy will oversee the prestigious Screen Awards, recognising artistic brilliance, cultural excellence, and technical innovation across Indian entertainment. Academy members will serve as the voting body, ensuring industry credibility and expertise guide the recognition process.
To ensure excellence, Screen Academy has established a Resident Critics Panel which includes Dr Priya Jaikumar, Professor of Cinematic Arts in the Division of Cinema and Media Studies at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Priyanka Sinha Jha (Curator of Screen Awards); Shubra Gupta (The Indian Express Film Critic); Nikhil Taneja (Co-Founder of We are Yuvaa); and Anjum Rajabali (screenwriter and Head of Screenwriting at WWI and FTII).
The Academy will grow to define rigorous criteria, categories, and evaluation standards to ensure fairness and credibility in honouring outstanding contributions to cinema, music, theatre, regional cinema and other allied art forms,” said Priyanka Sinha Jha.
About Screen
For over 80 years, Screen, India’s first film newspaper established in 1951 and home to the popular Screen Awards, has been the most credible news source on Indian cinema and the entertainment industry. Ramnath Goenka, the legendary champion of journalism, acknowledged the soft power of films and the film industry—the art and science of it—half a century before the trade was recognised as an industry.
Re-acquired from Disney in 2024 and in a brand new digital-first avatar today, Screen is one of India’s largest entertainment news destinations, reaching 40 million users monthly across four languages: Hindi, English, Marathi, and Tamil.
