Curator, What Are You Looking for in a Film Festival?

This week's special two-parter episode spotlights a pair of upcoming must-see programs in New York City. In the first half, FC co-editors Devika Girish and Clinton Krute chat with the critic, scholar, and former Cahiers du Cinema editor Jean-Michel Frodon, who has curated a revelatory series for the Museum of Modern Art, “Forgotten Filmmakers of the French New Wave.” In an enlightening conversation, Jean-Michel tells us about the origins and mutations of the term nouvelle vague, the influence of the Algerian War and anti-colonial movements in that period, the intermixing of documentary and fiction in New Wave practice, and more.  In the second part of the episode, Devika and Clint interview Inney Prakash, the founder of Prismatic Ground, a new festival for experimental documentary. Inney began Prismatic Ground last year amid the upheavals of the pandemic as an attempt to reimagine film festivals from a more radical, ethical, and global perspective. Inney discusses his curatorial philosophy, why it was important for him to have the festival stream online all over the world for free, and some highlights from this year’s program, including The Afterlight by Charlie Shackleton, Declarations of Love by Tiff Rekem, Squish! by Tulapop Saenjaroen, and more. For links to films and more, check out the show notes at filmcomment.com