When Independence Wears a PR Mask: How China’s Grassroots Film Festivals Perform Compliance to Preserve Curatorial Sovereignty

In China’s post-independent film festival landscape, emerging small-scale grassroots initiatives navigate complex institutional constraints by forging a dual identity: collaborating with local state-affiliated institutions and commercial entities to promote regional culture while preserving pockets of autonomy for independent cinema. This study terms it “negotiating independence” and examines how post-independent film festival curators negotiate artistic autonomy through proactive PR strategies within the strategic “third space” that blends compliance and resistance. Through ethnographic research of the 2025 China GeoFilm Festival in Guangzhou, this analysis reveals tactical innovations: partnering with the state-affiliated Yangcheng Evening News and a real estate conglomerate (Vanke) to secure legitimacy and material resources, while reframing contentious social issues related to Guangdong's urbanization as “geographic studies,” thereby fostering alternative narratives amid regulatory uncertainty. This research argues that in contemporary China, cultural autonomy depends not on institutional isolation but on adaptive curatorial agency—a practice balancing bold programming with performative pragmatism. This model provides insights for curators functioning in the hybrid reality of post-independence, demonstrating how localized strategies can sustain artistic integrity amid bureaucratic uncertainties. By grounding theory in China’s post-socialist context while resonating with broader Asian independent cinematic realities, the research aims to advance critical dialogues on curatorial resilience, tactical professionalism, and the redefinition of “independence” in fragmented cultural ecosystems.