A roundtable discussion on Anthropological Film Programming in Europe, took place at the upcoming Riga Pasaules Film Festival in Riga, Latvia, Friday, 25 April 2025.
The panellists were:
Eddy Appels (Missiemuseum Steyl, Netherlands)
Peter I. Crawford (NAFA International Ethnographic Film Festival)
Ivan Maksimovic (International Festival of Ethnological Film, Serbia)
Konstantinos Aivaliotis (Ethnofest, Greece).
This event has been recorded and will become available in The NAFA Film Collection soon!

The panel brings together anthropological film festival curators from across Europe to explore the dynamic landscape of contemporary film festival programming. Discussions will delve into how curators balance their creative visions with practical constraints, considering the influence of local discourses and funding structures on curatorial decisions and the overall identity of film festivals. This panel aims to foster a dialogue on the boundaries curators uphold and those they seek to challenge, offering a comparative look at curatorial practices across Europe.
Key themes of the panel include:
- The negotiation between creative freedom and logistical limitations
- The role of local cultural and political contexts in shaping festival programming
- Strategies for fostering diversity and innovation in anthropological film festivals
- Opportunities to expand and strengthen the network of anthropological film festivals in Europe