The Golden Bee is not a real prize

Why Countries Invest in Film Festivals: A Cultural Diplomacy Perspective

Most people never read a country’s foreign policy strategy. But they do follow event coverage, engage with creative content and absorb the images that circulate when a major festival arrives in a city. Perceptions are built through what people watch and share, not through what governments declare.

This is why a film festival is, among other things, a networking event for the people who shape industries. If you want quality business and quality tourism, you need to attract the attention of those who drive them: actors, journalists, producers, investors, cultural leaders. A festival puts them in the same room, in your country, on your terms. The films are the attraction. The relationships are the real asset, and they do not end when the red carpet is rolled away.

There is also something more basic at work. A country cannot project influence if nobody is paying attention. Film festivals generate international media coverage, social media content and celebrity appearances that place the host country in front of global audiences. In the case of Malta’s Mediterrane Film Festival, that translated into coverage in outlets such as The Hollywood Reporter and Variety, the kind of earned visibility that a tourism budget alone could not reliably produce.

Film festivals are often described as celebrations of cinema. Yet from the perspective of international relations, they have increasingly become instruments of cultural diplomacy through which states project influence, shape perceptions and position themselves within the global order.

This idea is rooted in the concept of soft power developed by political scientist Joseph Nye. While traditional power relies on military capabilities or economic leverage, soft power emerges from attraction. Countries can influence the behaviour of others not only through coercion or incentives, but also through the appeal of their culture, values and institutions. Film festivals provide governments with a platform to generate that attraction.

However, the significance of festivals extends beyond Nye’s theory. Constructivist scholars of international relations argue that power is not merely material. It also depends on ideas, identities and narratives. According to scholars such as Alexander Wendt, states do not simply pursue interests; they also seek recognition and legitimacy within international society. Film festivals help construct those identities by communicating stories about who a country is, what it values and how it wishes to be perceived.

In this sense, festivals are not merely cultural events. They are political spaces where national narratives are presented, negotiated and sometimes contested.

The literature on cultural diplomacy similarly emphasises that cultural exchange can achieve objectives that formal diplomacy often cannot. Milton Cummings defines cultural diplomacy as the exchange of ideas, information, art and other aspects of culture among nations and peoples to foster mutual understanding. Film festivals create precisely these opportunities by bringing together filmmakers, journalists, diplomats, investors and audiences in an environment that encourages dialogue rather than negotiation.

Governments understand this. As a result, many of the world’s most prominent festivals receive substantial public support.

The Cannes Film Festival, for example, has long functioned as an extension of French cultural diplomacy. While France possesses considerable economic and military capabilities, its international influence has also relied heavily on cultural prestige. Cannes reinforces France’s image as a centre of art, creativity and intellectual life. The festival serves as a reminder that French influence extends beyond politics and economics into the realm of global culture.

Similarly, South Korea’s support for the Busan International Film Festival forms part of a broader strategy that scholars often link to the rise of the Korean Wave, or Hallyu. Over several decades, South Korea invested heavily in cultural industries including cinema, television and music. While Busan alone did not create South Korea’s cultural influence, it became an important institution within a wider ecosystem that transformed Korean culture into a significant source of international soft power.

These examples illustrate an important point from public diplomacy theory. Successful cultural diplomacy is rarely achieved through direct state messaging. Instead, influence emerges through credible cultural institutions that audiences voluntarily engage with. The more a festival is respected internationally, the more effective it becomes as a vehicle for shaping perceptions of the host country.

Film festivals also contribute to what political scientist Simon Anholt describes as nation branding. In an increasingly interconnected world, countries compete not only for political influence but also for investment, tourism, talent and attention. Reputation becomes a strategic asset. Festivals help build that reputation by associating countries with creativity, openness and cultural sophistication.

This dynamic is particularly relevant for small states. Traditional realist theories of international relations suggest that smaller countries possess fewer instruments of influence because they lack large military forces or substantial economic leverage. Yet scholars studying small-state diplomacy have increasingly shown that reputation, niche specialisation and network-building can partially compensate for these limitations.

For small states, cultural diplomacy therefore offers a way to amplify visibility beyond what geography or population might otherwise allow.

Viewed through this lens, the Mediterranean Film Festival represents more than a cultural event. It can be understood as part of Malta’s effort to position itself within international cultural networks and strengthen its profile as a creative hub in the Mediterranean. The objective is not simply to host screenings. It is to create a platform through which Malta can attract attention, foster relationships and contribute to regional and international cultural conversations.

The ultimate value of such festivals is difficult to measure through ticket sales alone. Their impact lies in the accumulation of relationships, networks and perceptions over time. This reflects a broader lesson from cultural diplomacy scholarship: influence is rarely built through a single event. It emerges gradually through repeated interactions that shape how countries are understood by foreign audiences.

Film festivals matter because they allow states to tell stories about themselves. In an international system where perceptions increasingly influence political and economic outcomes, the ability to shape those stories has become a source of power in its own right.