The producing team behind Wolf & Dog has boarded Idiot, a Ladakhi feature project showcased this week at the co-production market of the WAVES Film Bazaar, the industry platform of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI).

Set in the high-altitude Changthang region of Ladakh, Idiot marks the feature debut of filmmaker Stenzin Tankyong, previously known for shorts including Sekool and Last Days of Summer, titles that travelled to international festivals such as Rotterdam.

The coming-of-age drama centres on Singay, an 18-year-old prankster and the lone Class 10 student in a remote government school, whose teachers take increasingly desperate steps to ensure he clears his board exams, according to a press release.

Produced by Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam alongside Rajesh Thanickan of White Crane Films, the project has locked in French co-producers Flore Cavigneaux and Jerome Blesson of La Belle Affaire Productions, the team behind the Venice title Wolf & Dog.

Described as humorous yet humane, the film examines the fragility of rural education systems in Ladakh, where government school enrolments have been falling as parents shift their children to private institutions in Leh and other cities.

“An uneducated generation cannot uplift its community. This film explores that truth — with honesty, humour and heart,” Tankyong said.

Sarin said Tankyong’s work brings an authentic Ladakhi voice to Indian cinema. “I immediately recognised Idiot’s potential to emerge as a universal coming-of-age story set within a very specific Ladakhi context,” she added.

The makers said the project has opened financing discussions at Film Bazaar, with some private equity already secured, and is now seeking international partners and co-producers as it moves into its next stage.