Edison Alcaide is a Brazilian and Spanish actor, known for his breakout role as Jean Charles de Menezes in the series Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes, streaming globally on Disney+. This four-part miniseries was written and produced by Jeff Pope (known for Philomena and Stan & Ollie), a former FEST speaker.

The series focuses on the events surrounding the tragic death of Jean Charles de Menezes, an innocent Brazilian man who was shot by British police after being mistakenly identified as a terrorist. Told from multiple perspectives of those involved, the series explores how memory — both accurate and distorted — can become “fact” and shape our understanding of truth. Edison stars alongside Max Beesley, Conleth Hill, Emily Mortimer, Daniel Mays, and Russell Tovey.

Edison Alcaide first came to FEST as a participant, and in this 21st edition, he returns as a speaker to share the process of bringing a real and complex character to life — and the journey that brought him here.