How Design Transforms Film Festivals into Platforms for Resistance and Conversation.
In conversation with Aswanth A, the Indian designer who designed and developed the visual identity for the International Film Festival of Kerala 2024 (IFFK 2024).
TL;DR
Film Festivals shape Identity, Politics, and Aesthetics in India. As I prepare to design a visual identity and program for ‘The New Screen Fest 2025’, in New York City, I was curious how Indian film festivals were designed and organized. Amidst our conversation about his design progress, Aswanth and I had some thoughts about the creative community in India.
Aswanth and I are both from Kerala, and speak Malayalam as our mother tongue, so we felt this conversation felt best facilitated in Malayalam to capture the essence of our thoughts and feelings.
Right off the bat, Aswanth and I bonded over where our love for designing began; the fine arts. Having both been involved in painting and film, we had a similar start, but pivoted in different directions at the start of our explorations; only to find common ground in our shared interest in the intersection of design and culture.
“Design can become political”
Aswanth spoke about his experience submitting his work to the academy for the selection process and how it was rejected the first time due to politics in administration and his advising faculty; only to be selected when he resubmitted it in a year. From this experience, Aswanth deduced that the selection process for both his designs as well as the films had a certain level of bias that controlled the outcome of the submissions; what that bias is, changes according to the film selection committee.
“Democracy shapes the value of design in Kerala (India), and we will not progress unless we learn to find common ground or look past our prejudices.”
-Aswanth
A year can make the greatest difference when you create designs that reflect society at the time of creation. In Aswanth’s case, he was very intentional in creating designs that were well thought out and reflected themes of intersectionality, the theme for the IFFK 2024. He viewed intersectionality from the perspective of the people of Kerala at that point of time.
An interesting point he brings up is that people in each state of India have different notions of life and also different reactions towards the same design. Bearing in mind that Malayalees have multiple points of intersectionality clubbed under language, political opinions, artistic and gender expression, cultures and traditions, than other states in India, he wanted to design something that spoke to a specific audience, who explored and expressed their intersectionality through film. Film being the binding medium thus guided his inspiration for the visual identity of the IFFK. He felt that this might not have been immediately noticed in a singular glance by an individual who does not resonate with this intersectionality; But for those who do, it cannot be mistaken to be understood as anything else and further inspired conversations in the right direction.
Aswanth wishes to design similar projects in the future as well and is hopeful about the growing appreciation for the arts in India, especially in Kerala. Watching as an outsider who resonates with the intersectionality of being culturally Malayalee and a first-generation creative and malayalam film enthusiast, I cannot help but hope for the same.
“How exciting it is to be a part of a greater movement in India, catalyzed by a wave of designers who are not afraid to go against the grain of what is expected of them.”
-Aparna
“Designers have social responsibility.”
Aswanth spoke about how he used to work for an advertising agency that created content and visual identities for luxury brands, initiatives and projects, that would spark a lot of designers’ interest today. However, he felt stuck creating work that did not take accountability towards improving or igniting important conversations in society.
The drive to produce ethical and socially responsible design work isn’t every designer’s priority, especially in India, where initiatives pointed towards social change are immediately shut down by authorities; who are at constant fear of revolution, especially one that is driven by those (creators) who create and share work that is accessible and has the power to speak to and change the minds of millions of people. But Aswanth is not afraid. He finds ways to incorporate important topics of discussion in his works in hopes to encourage such conversations among the common man.
Prior to IFFK 2024, Aswanth developed a visual identity centered around the theme of ‘flow’ — a concept inspired by the passage of time and its role in obscuring the contributions of women editors in film history. Drawing from the idea of fabric weaving through time, he incorporated visual elements of bioluminescence to symbolize “action and reaction,” mirroring the way bioluminescent algae respond to movement in ocean water. The theme of ‘flow’ also allowed him to represent film strips in a more literal sense, evoking the hands-on process of film editing once meticulously carried out by women in editing rooms of the past.
For IFFK 2024, he stuck to the theme of ‘intersectionality’, and incorporated his thoughts on the political environment in Palestine — a land that is highly affected by the intersectionality of ethnic and political history. By designing elements in an abstract manner, he pays homage to the nation’s efforts to find freedom and bringing the global community together for a good cause.
Aswanth’s attention to detail and his ethos of taking responsibility for the messages he conveys through his creations is one that I admire a lot and believe more designers should aspire to do.
“Don’t think about WHAT you are designing. Think about WHOM it is for.”
Designers who go through formal design education that is primarily driven by western standards of design — what some would deem as “modern design”, might not quite understand how different eastern standards or systems of design work. It would seem less sophisticated or “lower quality” to them in comparison to the designs of the west that thrive on simple compositions, and neutrally coloured elements; whereas, countries in Asia and MENA like to exercise their range in colors, compositions and visual imagery.
This issue becomes particularly problematic in commercial rebranding or redesign projects when designers, unfamiliar with the depth and significance of existing products in the Indian market, make drastic changes to their visual identity. Such changes can strip the product of its authenticity, making it feel entirely new and disconnected from its original essence, ultimately leading to a loss of audience loyalty. This problem can be rooted to the effects of colonialism in India, which still has its claws deep in the world of design. A lot of companies and consumer product strategists are still drawn to the colonial mindset and fall for this mistake, not taking into account that Indian audiences crave more authenticity.
Aswanth used the example of the ‘Frooti’, a well-beloved consumer product in the Indian market since 1985. Its packaging and visual identity had remained pretty consistent over the years, until redesigned by Pentagram in 2015. This rebrand aimed to be sensitive towards Frooti’s beloved status, but also radical enough to appeal to new consumer groups. Specifically, it was aimed to attract 15–30 year olds, who had previously shied away from the drink. Although their strategy seemed perfect on paper, it faced a lot of backlash in the first few years in the market. Audiences began to perceive the redesigned packaging and logo as overly “polished,” creating an unintentional sense of exclusivity. Even the most loyal consumers felt intimidated, as the new design projected a higher cost or status, making it seem tailored for higher-income audiences — despite that never being the brand’s intention.
“The more you stray away grounding yourself in the environment your designs will live under, the further you will stray away from creating a design that speaks to the public that you are designing for.”
-Aparna, Aswanth
Final thoughts and takeaways from our conversation
There is a momentum currently brewing among the young creatives of India, not only who live there, like Aswanth, but also diaspora, like myself. This momentum is propelling us towards a shared vision and taking massive strides towards uniting the diverse communities in India. It is also allowing Indian creatives to come into the spotlight and share their talents with the global creative community — one that used to be more intimidating and biased towards Indian designers. With this momentum comes collaboration and innovation; ideas are no longer taken for granted because designers are willing to do whatever it takes to execute their vision regardless of political obstructions and past notions of “good vs bad design” that was guided by western standards of design and visual aesthetics.
The new age of design is coming in full force and venues like film festivals are just one such example, where design drives conversation about important topics in society.
The End
-Aparna Krishnan Reshmy (17 February, 2025)
