GECs
Yuvaa partners with Adobe to support underrepresented stories & storytellers
Mumbai: Yuvaa, India’s first Gen Z-driven youth media, insights and impact organisation, has partnered with international software giant Adobe, as well as the Adobe Foundation, to support and empower underrepresented stories and storytellers from India, as part of the first-ever Adobe Film & TV Fund of $6 million.
The only South Asian organisation in the cohort, Yuvaa joins some of the world’s most renowned nonprofit and impact organisations like NAACP, The Sundance Institute, Easterseals, Gold House and The Latinx House, to drive greater representation in the film industry by providing resources, community and support to underrepresented creators on-screen and behind the camera, with funding for short and feature films.
The Adobe Film & TV Fund aims to address the inequity in funding, career and training opportunities across multiple communities in the industry with grants, contributions, and fellowships. In the first year of the Fund, Adobe and the Adobe Foundation committed to $6 million in grants, contributions, and Adobe Creative Cloud product donations with the goal of tracking inclusion in the industry and directly accelerating the careers of thousands of global creators, and ultimately increasing inclusion in film and TV series, that reach millions worldwide.
The Film & TV Fund Adobe builds on its long-standing collaboration with the Sundance Institute and the continued support and momentum the company has achieved for inclusivity, access, opportunity and creativity for all. The announcement was made at the ongoing 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
Adobe VP marketing strategy and communications and member of the Adobe Foundation board Stacy Martinet said, “Diversity in front of and behind the camera is key to unlocking more diverse and more inclusive storytelling across TV and film. Through our new Film & TV Fund, Adobe is looking to leverage its leadership position in the creative industry to unlock new opportunities for underrepresented creators.”
Yuvaa co-founder and chief Nikhil Taneja, “Over the last 5 years, Yuvaa has worked with several marginalized communities, including women and the LGBTQIA+ community in India, to leverage the power of storytelling and the internet, to co-create stories that must be heard and that must be told. With an incredible partner like Adobe, who are committed to creating meaningful opportunities for representation, we are looking to scale our impact with long-form storytelling, so we can, at once, collaborate with an eclectic mix of talent and creatives from diverse backgrounds, and work towards telling a story that deeply matters to us as individuals, and us as a society.”
GECs
Asianet Television Awards 2026 celebrates women power in Malayalam TV
“She is the Colour” theme honours icons as ceremony airs on March 14 and 15 at 7 PM.
MUMBAI: If television lights up living rooms, this year Asianet decided to let women provide the colour. The Asianet Television Awards 2026 turned the spotlight firmly on women empowerment with the theme “She is the Colour”, celebrating the strength, resilience and achievements of women who continue to shape society and the Malayalam entertainment industry.
The ceremony honoured several distinguished personalities whose journeys have left a lasting cultural imprint. Among them was legendary playback singer Vimala Varma, widely recognised as the first Malayalam playback singer. The evening also paid tribute to Padma Shri awardees Devaki Amma and Vimala Menon for their exceptional contributions in their respective fields.
Leading women from the Malayalam film industry were also recognised during the event, including actor Shweta Menon, who currently serves as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, and National Award winning actor Surabhi Lakshmi.
The awards ceremony brought together a glittering lineup of actors and industry figures, including Jayasurya, Vijay Babu, Asha Sarath, Lena, Esther Anil, Anumol, Akhila Bhargavan, Sarayu Mohan, Prajod Kalabhavan, Gayathri Suresh, Sabumon Abdusamad, Swasika, Tini Tom, Sijoy Varghese, Kailash, Veena Nandakumar, Sabareesh Varma, Ansiba Hassan and Dinesh Prabhakar. Kishan Kumar, executive vice president Malayalam at JioStar, was also present at the event.
Beyond individual recognitions, the awards celebrated excellence across Malayalam television, acknowledging artists and technicians whose work continues to drive the industry forward.
The evening also offered plenty of spectacle, with elaborate dance performances, stunt acts and comedy skits performed by popular television and film personalities, turning the ceremony into a full fledged entertainment showcase.
Viewers will get to watch the celebrations when the Asianet Television Awards 2026 air on Asianet on March 14 and 15, Saturday and Sunday, from 7 pm onwards, bringing the star studded tribute to homes across Kerala and beyond.
