Interview | European Union Film Festival curator Artur Zaborski: ‘Each country has its own unique way of expression’

Artur Jósef Zaborski, the curator of the 30th European Union Film Festival in India, discusses the diversity of this year's selected films.

The 30th edition of the European Union Film Festival is underway, bringing the finest and biggest selection of European films to India. From October 31 to November 9, 2025, the Delhi leg will present 28 acclaimed films from all EU Member States and Ukraine, before travelling to Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Organised by the Delegation of the European Union to India, in collaboration with the Embassies of EU Member States and regional partners, EUFF 2025 offers Indian audiences a rare chance to experience Europe’s most celebrated films on the big screen.

Artur Jósef Zaborski, originally from Poland, discusses the rich selection of films that celebrate the cultures and differences within the European Union.

Through this vibrant showcase of European films, EUFF continues to foster Indo-European cultural collaboration, offering audiences a window to Europe, its people, culture and society. HT caught up with curator Artur Jósef Zaborski for an exclusive chat about the lineup this year, how the selection of films were made and more.

(Excerpts)

What are you most looking forward to at the film festival this year?

What I am really proud of, and what is truly important, is that this year's program presents the entire panorama of European Cinema. Thanks to the films that we present here at the festival, we can see how diverse the European Union countries are… not only as per cultural differences, but also how the filmmakers have a different approach to filmmaking. We can see the themes, genres and forms are completely different when we look at the program and I think that this is the strongest aspect of the festival.

When we think about the EU, we think that it is united and connected… that they are pretty similar to each other. However, thanks to the diverse films presented at the festival, we see that each country has its own integrity, identity, and unique way of expression.

Were there any topical trends that were visible in the films that were under consideration?

No. I think that the only rule that we have at the festival is that the film has to be good. We don't want to follow trends, or the films that have played at other festivals, or films that were a box office success in the country where it was made. That was not important for us. The only aspect that mattered was to present to the Indian audience the kind of cinema that is valuable. Cinema that tries to tackle important subjects that the Indian audience can understand.

Take one look at the program and you will know that these films are very different from each other in terms of their themes. It was also very important for me to present the European cinema and what it says about different aspects of life. I mean, in some cases, we present films that are very patriotic, that are trying to underline the important achievements of the country in which the film was made. An example would be the film from Sweden, titled The Swedish Torpedo, which talks about female empowerment, resilience and freedom. When we see the film, we will say, ‘Wow, Sweden made it and managed to help this person achieve their goal.’ However, at the same time, we are unafraid to present films that critique the negative aspects of living in the EU. The film from Luxembourg, Grieving Underwater, tackles the subject of domestic violence. So the idea is to present the EU as a place where there are a lot of things we can be proud of, and yet there are a lot of things where we have to work on. I believe that this program underlines it, and that was more important to me than following the trends.

Share some of the joys of your role as a curator for the EU Film Festival

Working as a curator is a job that everyone would love to have because all you do is watch films and pick up good films. So this is like a dream come true because you can do what you love… Yet one of the disadvantages of this job is that you can pick only 28 films, while you would like to present at least 150! Because there were so many interesting examples… I remember how much of a struggle it was to pick up a film from Poland. I am originally from Poland, where I was born and raised, so I am most familiar with Polish cinema... and picking just one was very challenging. We picked ‘It’s not my Film' that portrays the beauty of Poland, the representation of the Polish landscape… which was important to me, to pick up a film that could show the reality of the country as well.

I have visited India in the past, and it was one of the best experiences of my life. I believe that thanks to the film festival, we can see the differences in the realities between these cultures and regions, and appreciate them because these are good differences, not bad differences. We get closer to the places, to feel the connection with the people.