Hindi
Indian film ‘I D’ is in competition of Edinburgh Film Festival
NEW DELHI: The Indian film ‘I.D.‘ by Kamal KM is one of the two Asian films competing at the 67th Edinburgh International Film Festival this month.
The Festival being held from 19 to 30 June will also feature Kang Yi-kwan‘s Juvenile Offender from South Korea.
I.D. has competed at festivals in India and Europe. Produced among others by the Oscar award-winning Resul Pookutty, the film has been filmed by Madhu Neelakandan. It stars Geetanjali Thapa, Murari Kumar, Rukshana Tabassum, Shinjini Raval, and Shashi Sharma among others.
The 90-minute film in Hindi and English is about Charu and her friends – all their mid-twenties – who share a rented apartment in a sky-rise in Mumbai. One day a labourer comes to paint a soiled wall at her house. Irritated that her flat-mate did not inform her, she asks the man to hurry up. A few minutes later, she finds him unconscious on the floor. Charu, panicked and desperate to do what‘s right, gets entwined in a series of incidents that take her through the city. Anywhere that might lead her to some identity of the man.
Kang‘s countryman Bong Joon-ho heads the competition jury.
In addition to Offender the festival is showing five more South Korean films in a tribute to the country, including spy thriller The Berlin File political drama National Security and high-school drama Pluto
The festival also includes three indie films from the Philippines, including John Torres‘ Lukas The Strange Lukas Nino, four indie films from China, including Zhang Yuan Beijing Flicker and three features from Japan, including Nakata Hideo‘s The Complex.
The festival opens with Drake Doremus‘ US drama Breath In, starring Australia‘s Guy Pearce, and closes with the world premiere of John McKay‘s Not Another Happy Ending about a young authoress in Glasgow who is suffering from writer‘s block.
One innovation at this year‘s festival is the introduction of "Film Fest Miles", with which audience members compete for flights. Each film is allocated miles according to the distance to its country of origin, giving Asian film fans a distinct advantage.
Hindi
Shekhar Suman opens acting academy in Mumbai
The veteran actor-presenter launches SSFA, promising immersive, mentorship-led training for aspiring actors and storytellers
Mumbai: Forty years in front of the camera, and Shekhar Suman still isn’t done. The actor, host, writer and director, one of Indian entertainment’s most restless polymaths, is now training his sights on the next generation, launching the Shekhar Suman Film Academy (SSFA) in Mumbai on 22nd April 2026. Registrations for the inaugural batch are already open.
SSFA pitches itself squarely against formula-driven acting schools, leading with an intensive three-month programme that Suman says he personally designed and will largely conduct himself. The curriculum blends voice and speech work, emotional access, body awareness and camera technique with the Linklater Voice Method, film language and on-set discipline, and rounds off with a student film, giving trainees their first taste of a real set.
Masterclasses with actors, casting directors and filmmakers sit alongside the core course. The academy is conceived as a platform that will eventually sprawl into screenwriting, direction, cinematography, music production and post-production: a full creative ecosystem rather than a single acting school.
“For me, this academy is not just an institution. It is a very personal way of giving back to the craft that has given me everything,” said Suman. “Over the years, acting has taught me discipline, imagination, resilience, and the importance of truth in performance. Through this academy, I hope to create something that goes beyond training and becomes a true creative journey for every student who walks in.”
Behind the scenes, the academy is backed by GBM Studios. Dharmesh Sangani, founder and visionary, is the driving force, bringing what the academy describes as “a focused approach to creating meaningful opportunities within the industry.” Adhyayan Suman, founder and director and Shekhar’s son, adds a performer’s perspective honed across acting, music and direction. Ekant Babani, partner and chief operating officer, handles strategy and operations.
Entry is deliberately low-barrier. No prior training is needed: applicants sit a basic self-audition test, shifting the focus firmly to potential rather than polish. The academy says it aims to stay accessible while delivering a premium, hands-on experience.
In a country where acting schools multiply almost as fast as OTT platforms, Suman’s personal stamp and his willingness to stand in the room and teach may be the sharpest edge SSFA has. For those ready to test that promise, the curtain is already up. Apply at shekharsumanfilmacademy.com
