Meet Aswanth A, visual designer behind the IFFK 2024 logo and brand identity concept

Aswanth A, a visual designer, portrays the prevalence of intersections in society through his logo for the IFFK 2024 edition.

Aswanth A’s connection with the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) organised in Thiruvananthapuram, goes beyond a cinephile’s love for movies. It was in 2017 when he moved to the city to pursue a bachelor’s degree in fine arts at the College of Fine Arts. As someone who believes that he had spent his entire life restricting himself, Aswanth’s choice was driven by his desire to explore the world beyond his home in Kannur. For someone who considered movies to be “just a form of entertainment”, IFFK was a thing of beauty and a joy he cherishes.

“It was something emotional for me. I didn’t know much about the IFFK and I also didn’t watch many movies either. To me, IFFK was a cultural space where like-minded people came together and there was a beauty in that. Every day, there would be new movies, new people to meet, new ideas in movies, culture and technique with which they were made,” he says. 

Aswanth, now 26, is a visual designer and the brains behind the logo for the 29th edition of the IFFK set to take place in the second week of December in Thiruvananthapuram. The festival, which spans eight days, has chosen “Intersectionality” as the central theme for its logo and brand identity concept this year. 

“There are many factors that decide a person’s position in society like religion, caste, gender, race and so on. Thus, different layers, when combined, determine whether they are privileged or oppressed in society. The same goes for movies, you cannot just look at them in one way,” explains Aswanth.

After having worked as a designer with different firms in Bengaluru and Delhi, Aswanth is currently pursuing a master’s degree in fine arts from RLV College of Music and Fine Arts, Kochi.  

Aswanth has designed the logo for the 27th edition of the IFFK.  Earlier this year, he designed the logos for the Women’s International Film Festival held in Kochi and the second edition of the Happiness International Festival held in Kannur. He also designed the logo for the 15th edition of the International Documentary and Short Film Festival held in Thiruvananthapuram last year.   

Aswanth credits his repeated appearances at film festivals for his style combining design and art. He believes that he has more ideas to communicate on a deeper level which people would turn their eyes to at a large platform like the IFFK. He adds that more conversations should take place on how to make the world a better, convenient place through design.