Jose Cabrera Betancort, an experienced Spanish film programmer with over two decades of involvement in international festival programming, served as a jury member of the International Competition at the 43rd Fajr International Film Festival.
Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Audiovisual Communication and a cinema fellowship from the Royal Spanish Academy of Arts in Rome, he has worked with festivals such as MiradasDoc and Transilvania IFF, directed “Tenerife Shorts” for a decade, and programmed for Las Palmas IFF for ten years. Currently Head of Film Management at Valladolid IFF and Head of Programming at Bucharest IFF, Betancort speaks in this interview with the festival’s press office about poetic cinema—the central theme of this FIFF edition—and his approach to judging films in the International Competition.
How was your experience at the festival, which focused on poetic cinema?
Overall, the experience was very positive. It was a big festival. I met many people and saw many films, and I think the opening was a success. I really enjoyed watching Abbas Kiarostami’s “Through the Olive Trees” again on the big screen, together with a large audience. It is one of my favorite films by my favorite Iranian filmmaker. He is a master, and it is always a beautiful experience to watch his films, especially because they are truly made for the big screen.
Tell us about your experience working with the other jury members.
I worked with a jury of seven people. We were very different, and that was actually something very positive. We saw things differently, and this diversity was enriching. We watched a program of sixteen films in just a few days, which was quite a lot. Naturally, we had different opinions, and that was also a good thing. We all spoke different languages. Of course, we communicated in English, but we came from very different backgrounds. Everyone was a professional in cinema and the film industry, and it was a real pleasure to work with them. I really enjoyed this experience and I think it was fantastic.
As a jury member, what qualities do you usually look for in a film?
Normally, I look for quality and originality. But for me, originality is much more important than technical quality. Sometimes you see a film that is not perfect in terms of image, sound, or other technical aspects, which often depend on budget or financial resources. However, if the film shows talent and a unique vision that makes it special beyond those technical elements, I feel much more connected to it. I prefer this kind of film over one that is technically perfect but tells a story that has already been told many times, in the same way. I really appreciate those small twists that offer something new and different. That is what matters most to me.
Did you apply the same standards when judging poetic films?
I think I understood what poetic cinema meant when a festival chose to focus on it. At the same time, poetics cannot be forced. When I see a film that is trying too hard to be poetic, it often does not work for me. Poetic elements should feel natural, not imposed. With filmmakers like Abbas Kiarostami, it was extraordinary because poetic cinema was part of his natural language. At the same time, he was constantly experimenting with cinematic form and language, doing things that no one else had done in the same way over the years. That is something I deeply admire. On the other hand, when I see filmmakers struggling to appear poetic, repeating metaphors throughout the film and insisting on selling that idea to the audience, I feel less engaged. This kind of approach does not attract me as much.
