As Curator for MIFF 2024, I conceptualized and programmed MOSAICS — a special segment spotlighting 19 politically resonant, cross-cultural films from over 30 countries. Featuring World, Asia, and India premieres, the section expanded MIFF’s global identity by bringing together formally adventurous, aesthetically interventionist, and socially urgent works.

MOSAICS sought to weave critical and poetic dialogues across geographies — connecting filmmakers, audiences, and histories through nonfiction cinema that interrogates power, memory, and belonging. The program reflected a deliberate emphasis on risk-taking form, radical empathy, and the aesthetic diversity of contemporary documentary practice.

Curatorial Ethos

Through MOSAICS, I:

• Curated a constellation of films engaging with political, social, and cultural questions that provoke cross-cultural dialogue.

• Focused on avant-garde and experimental approaches, balancing cultural representation with innovative storytelling.

• Introduced Indian audiences to underrepresented cinematic languages, expanding the scope of international nonfiction.

• Selected works ranging from deeply personal to globally expansive, fostering both intellectual inquiry and emotional resonance.

• Contributed to MIFF’s evolving role as South Asia’s premier nonfiction platform by offering filmmakers meaningful visibility and context.

• Facilitated public conversations and filmmaker interactions that deepened the festival’s critical discourse around cinema and society.

COLLECTION:

FILM TITLE | DIRECTOR(S) | PRODUCTION COUNTRIES | YEAR | LANGUAGE(S) | PREMIERE STATUS

1. The Cemetery of Cinema | Thierno Souleymane Diallo | France, Senegal, Guinea, Saudi Arabia | 2023 | French, Eastern Maninkakan, Pulaar | India Premiere

2. Coconut Head Generation | Alain Kassanda | France, Nigeria | 2023 | English, French, Yoruba | Asia Premiere

3. Colette & Justin | Alain Kassanda | France, Beligum | 2022 | English, French, Yoruba | Asia Premiere

4. CHILDREN OF THE COAST | Bruno Bancalari | Mexico | 2023 | Spanish | India Premiere

5. I HEAR YOUR SILENCE | Jorge Abarca | USA | 2024 | 2024 | World Premiere

6. THE REBELLION OF THE FLOWERS | María Laura Vásquez | Argentina | 2022 | Spanish | Asia Premiere

7. ONÁN | Diego Toussaint | Mexico | 2022 | Spanish | No Premiere

8. AN Asian Ghost Story | Bo Wang | Hong Kong, Netherlands | 2023 | Cantonese,  English | India Premiere

9. 5 Seasons of Revolution | Lina | Germany, Syria, Netherlands, Norway, Qatar | 2023 | English, Arabic | India Premiere

10. The Secret Drawer | Costanza Quatriglio | Italy, Switzerland | 2024 | Italian | Asia Premiere

11. Selling a Colonial War | In-Soo Radstake | Netherlands | 2023 | English, Indonesian, Dutch | India Premiere

12. AMOR | Virginia Eleuteri Serpieri | Italy, Lithuania | 2023 | Italian | India Premiere

13. King Coal | Elaine McMillion Sheldon | USA | 2022 | English | India Premiere

14. Night of the Coyotes | Clara Trischler | Germany, Austria | 2024 | Spanish, English | India Premiere

15. Canuto's Transformation | Ariel Kuaray Ortega, Ernesto de Carvalho | Brazil | 2023 | Portuguese, Guarani, Spanish | India Premiere

16. This is Our Everything | Frederik Subei | Germany | 2023 | Portuguese, Guajajara | Asia Premiere

17. La Guardia Blanca | Julien Elie | Canada | 2023 | Spanish | Asia Premiere

18. Retrodreaming | ALISA BERGER | Germany, Japan | 2022 | English | India Premiere

19. A Movement Against the Transparency of the Stars of the Seas | Esy Casey | USA, Philippines | 2022 | Cebuano and English | India Premiere

Impact

MOSAICS positioned MIFF as a site of transnational nonfiction discourse — one that foregrounded cinematic experimentation and political inquiry in equal measure. The segment strengthened the festival’s curatorial identity by bridging form and politics, giving South Asian audiences access to global conversations in contemporary documentary practice.

External Links:

Festival Website: MIFF

Festival Catalogue: MIFF 2024