KOCHI: Stefan Borsos is a writer, curator, film/TV scholar, and sinologist. He founded the CineAsia film magazine in 2000 and was instrumental in programming the CineAsia Film Festival Cologne. Over the years, he has advised various film festivals, advocating for Hong Kong/Chinese and South Asian cinema.
Since 2020, Stefan has been a programmer at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR). Recently, he was in India to connect with filmmakers. His journey also took him to Kochi, where he met both independent and mainstream filmmakers to learn about their work, struggles, and concerns.
TNIE caught up with Stefan to discuss his process, Malayalam cinema, indie filmmaking and more.
Excerpts...
You took many Malayalam movies from lesser-known filmmakers to the global stage. How do you find these works?
One crucial part of a curator’s work is thorough research, especially for cinema cultures that lack a proper institutional infrastructure or have one that favours certain types of films, filmmakers, and regions over others.
While it’s clear that you will never have a full overview, I use every tool at my disposal, from simple internet research, checking Film Bazaar and other market catalogues and listings, to local festival programmes and monitoring the making of films on social media. Sometimes, I find films by sheer chance. Filmmakers and their contacts are, of course, a major resource. Among others, 'Kiss Wagon' by Midhun Murali found its way to Rotterdam this way.
How do you see Malayalam cinema compared to other languages from India or South Asian cinema in general?
Great and interesting work is emerging from many parts of India and South Asia, but Tamil Nadu and Kerala have been among the most exciting and surprising for years.
Recent Malayalam debuts like 'Kiss Wagon' or 'Hawk’s Muffin' by Krishnendu Kalesh seem to come out of nowhere. However, these films don’t come easily. Despite a seemingly healthy mainstream film industry and a well-connected indie scene, it’s very much on the directors to make things happen.
What do you think would help the future of independent filmmakers?
Most important is access, whether to public funding, film festivals, overseas funding schemes, labs, or critics. It is nearly impossible to navigate all these as a first-time filmmaker.
There’s a clear lack of support and too few gatekeepers with the power to make or break a film. Additionally, there is often a certain type of realism that gets overseas exposure more easily.
We need more openness from gatekeepers towards a wider variety of themes, stories, and aesthetic approaches, as well as good creative producers who can navigate overseas festivals, distributors, and sales agents.
Rich and interesting work is being done despite these circumstances, but if we settle for the status quo, nothing will change.
What criteria do you use to identify hidden gems or unique narratives while curating films from across the world?
First of all, nothing is truly hidden. It requires research and connections, but the biggest hurdle in finding films is ignorance. Everything is there; you just need to look.
There are no general criteria, whether for South and Southeast Asian cinemas or genre films from all over the world. I strongly dislike the idea that non-Western cultures and cinemas must perform certain functions or fulfil certain expectations for Western audiences. This type of exoticism is still prevalent.
For me, it’s a personal question—whether I connect to the film or not. I’m looking for something fresh, different, and new, especially for IFFR’s signature Tiger Competition and our Bright Future section for first-timers. There are no specific elements or set of elements that need to be there.
Why is it hard for Indian films to enter A-list festivals like Cannes and Venice? Do such films need to follow a template to satisfy stereotypes?
It’s impossible to answer this in a general way. Chance, timing, and other uncertainties always play an important role in selections.
However, there are certain tropes and expectations of Indian cinemas, even if it’s not a clear-cut affair. It comes down to access, visibility, connections, taste, and an understanding of what Indian cinema is and should be.
To single out one quality I’m looking for is rather difficult, and I actually wouldn’t separate new directors from experienced ones. Of course, I’m looking for surprises, freshness, an individual vision, and so on, but what I especially cherish is when the communication works — when I understand why the filmmaker is doing things in a certain manner. And while I do like melodrama’s broad strokes, I can also enjoy subtlety, which is to be found, believe it or not, in popular/genre cinema as well – Stefan Borsos
