{"slug": "anurag-kashyap-miffest-jury-president-searches-for-a-new-cinematic-language", "title": "Anurag Kashyap, MIFFest Jury President, Searches for ‘a New Cinematic Language’", "summary": "Anurag Kashyap, jury president of the Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest), says he is searching for 'a new cinematic language' from younger filmmakers as AI tools, social media and abundant information transform filmmaking and audience reception. The Indian auteur, whose latest directorial feature 'Bandar' marks his return behind the camera, is also leading a masterclass titled 'Unfiltered Realism' and hopes to discover 'another clue about the future of cinema' through conversations at the festival.", "body_md": "Indian auteur [Anurag Kashyap](https://variety.com/t/anurag-kashyap/), whose latest directorial feature “Bandar” marks his return behind the camera, is at this year’s Malaysia International Film Festival ([MIFFest](https://variety.com/t/miffest/)) as jury president while also leading a masterclass titled “Unfiltered Realism.” But rather than having all the answers, the veteran filmmaker is hoping to discover something new.\n\n“As jury president, what I’m really looking for is a new cinematic language,” Kashyap tells *Variety*. “I’m interested in seeing how younger filmmakers tell stories in ways my generation couldn’t.”\n\nKashyap believes today’s filmmakers are entering an entirely different creative landscape. AI tools, social media and an overwhelming abundance of information have transformed not only how films are made but also how audiences receive them.\n\n### Popular on Variety\n\nLooking back on more than two decades of filmmaking, Kashyap pushed back on a common assumption. “Staying real isn’t a choice,” he added. “Whether I’m directing, producing or acting, you have to stay real. Only then can you fully play out reality and truly engage your audience.”\n\nHe acknowledges that earlier in his career, limited budgets and available technology naturally pushed his films toward grounded storytelling. But he argues that authenticity has never been about visual style.\n\nRather than seeing authenticity as a branding strategy, Kashyap believes local stories resonate globally precisely because they remain deeply rooted in their own cultures.\n\nAcross Asia, Kashyap sees filmmakers share many of the same challenges despite working in different industries. “South Korea, Japan, China and India all have mature film industries,” he says. “But we’re all facing the same problem – audiences have shorter attention spans, and streaming platforms have created endless choices.”\n\nThose concerns echo comments Kashyap made earlier this year about the pressures facing contemporary cinema, particularly independent filmmaking in an increasingly fragmented viewing environment.\n\nRather than offering a blueprint for filmmaking, Kashyap hopes the masterclass will become a conversation – one where he’s as eager to learn as he is to share his own experiences.\n\n“I have many questions myself as well,” he says. “I’m hoping to find some answers, have meaningful conversations during the festival and maybe discover another clue about the future of cinema.”", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/anurag-kashyap-miffest-jury-president-searches-for-a-new-cinematic-language", "canonical_source": "https://variety.com/2026/film/festivals/anurag-kashyap-new-cinematic-language-miffest-1236817072/", "published_at": "2026-07-21 09:34:29+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-07-21 09:41:18.867819+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["artificial-intelligence"], "entities": ["Anurag Kashyap", "Malaysia International Film Festival", "MIFFest", "Bandar"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/anurag-kashyap-miffest-jury-president-searches-for-a-new-cinematic-language", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/anurag-kashyap-miffest-jury-president-searches-for-a-new-cinematic-language.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/anurag-kashyap-miffest-jury-president-searches-for-a-new-cinematic-language.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/anurag-kashyap-miffest-jury-president-searches-for-a-new-cinematic-language.jsonld"}}