The European Union Film Festival was held in New Delhi from October 31, 2025 to November 9, 2025. It is also being held in Bangalore between November 7, 2024 and November 15, 2025. Artur Joseph Zaborsky, Curator of the Film Festival, talks exclusively to India Today about his love for Indian cinema, ‘The Lunchbox’ (2013), Mira Nair and the selection process at the EU Film Festival.

Reflecting on the uniqueness of the selection at the European Union Film Festival, Arthur said, “I really appreciate and love Indian cinema. When I was growing up, I watched Mira Nair’s films. Then, I was watching absolutely amazing films that stayed with me for years, like ‘The Lunchbox’ or Payal Kapadia’s ‘All We Imagine as Light’ (2024). So, having that in my mind also shows that Indian cultural values are very interesting ways of looking at the visual language of cinema.”

He further added, “I wanted to bring something to India that the audience would love. That’s why when I talk about Mira Nair and Payal Kapadia, I feel very proud that in this year’s festival, almost half the films are made by women directors. What is centered around European cinema and Indian filmmakers is the human spirit. Thanks to this, we can build bridges between India and the EU and also have cultural exchange between the audiences.”

When asked about the theme at the film festival, which brought together all film lovers and cinema students, the curator said, “When I was working on the selection, I didn’t think about whether any of the films were following a trend or whether they were trying to fit certain boundaries of creativity. The important thing for me was that these films were diverse, because I believe that is something that can connect very well with the Indian audience.”

He further added, “India is such a vast country and it has so many races, languages, cultures and so many other elements that make this country work together. So, the EU is the same, because we are a country united with the EU flag and at the same time, each country has its own identity, history and issues. But we all work together. Bringing these films here was to remind the Indian audience that the EU is completely diverse. That’s why the films at the festival are completely different from each other. Are.”

Artur said, “We have a sports film, a comedy-drama, fantasy film and period films which are completely different. But what is more important for me is that cinema can destroy boundaries. Watching these films in India will be similar to watching them in EU countries, because if the film makes me cry in the EU, it will have the same effect on the audience in India.”

The European Union Film Festival was inaugurated at the India Habitat Center on October 31, 2025. The festival selected 28 films from each European member state.