Raymond George Dias, alumnus of National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS), Kochi has been selected as one of 12 filmmakers from across the world for the 2026 FLC Artists Academy, organised by Film at Lincoln Center as part of the 64th New York Film Festival.

Raymond is the only filmmaker from India selected for this year’s programme, which brings together emerging filmmakers from different parts of the world for creative conversations and engagement with established figures from the international film community.

Dias is the son of Mini Dias and Justice CS Dias of Kerala High Court.

A multidisciplinary artist and filmmaker from Kochi, Raymond's journey to cinema has been distinctive. Before pursuing filmmaking, he studied law at NUALS, Kochi, and subsequently completed a Master’s degree in Law specialising in Artificial Intelligence at the University of Auckland, New Zealand.

Alongside his academic pursuits, Raymond developed an artistic practice rooted in photography, writing, experimental music and collage, which gradually evolved into filmmaking. His work spans fiction, documentary and experimental cinema, and has been exhibited and screened at venues and festivals including the Kochi Art Fair, Ras Al Khaimah Art Fair and the Jaipur Centre for Art.

Raymond is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Film Direction at ESCAC (Escola Superior de Cinema i Audiovisuals de Catalunya), Barcelona, where he is completing his Master’s thesis film while developing his first feature-length project. In August 2026, he was also selected for the Locarno BaseCamp at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland.

The FLC Artists Academy will take place alongside the New York Film Festival, scheduled from September 25 to October 12, 2026 across Lincoln Center and other venues in New York City. The programme provides selected emerging filmmakers an opportunity to deepen their creative and professional practices through interaction with established filmmakers and members of the international film community.