Jayan Cherian, a Kerala-born filmmaker and poet, is celebrated for his compelling work across both film and literature. He graduated with honors in Film and Creative Writing from Hunter College and later earned his MFA in filmmaking from The City College of New York. Cherian's films have screened at major international festivals, including the Berlin International Film Festival, Durban International Film Festival, BFI London Lesbian Gay Film Festival, NARA International Film Festival, Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival, Kolkata International Film Festival, and Montreal World Film Festival, winning multiple awards.
His debut feature, Papilio Buddha (2013), received critical acclaim, winning the Kerala State Film Special Jury Award for Best Direction and the Kerala Film Critics Association Award for Best Debut Director, as well as the Feature Narrative Award at the Athens International Film+Video Festival. Cherian’s documentary The Shape of the Shapeless (2010) won the Silver Conch Award at the Mumbai International Film Festival, the Silver Jury Prize at San Francisco Shorts, and the Director's Choice Award at the Black Maria Film and Video Festival. His film Ka Bodyscapes (2016) garnered the Best Feature Film award at the Out & Loud - Pune International Queer Film Festival and accolades at the Cape Town International Film Festival.
Cherian’s filmography includes Rhythm of Dammam (2024), Ka Bodyscapes (2016), Papilio Buddha (2013), The Shape of the Shapeless (2010), Love in the Time of Foreclosure (2009), Hidden Things (2009), Soul of Solomon (2008), Capturing the Signs of God (2008), Holy Mass (2007), Tree of Life (2007), Simulacra the Reality of the Unreal (2007), The Inner Silence of the Tumult (2007), Hid-entity (2007), and Tandava the Dance of Dissolution (2006).
In addition to filmmaking, Cherian is an accomplished poet with four published collections in Malayalam: Ayodhanaththinte Achuthantu (Axis of Combat) (1996), Ayanam Vachana Rekhayil (Journey on the Line of Verse) (1999), Polymorphism (2002), and Pachakku (Like It Is) (2006). His poetry has earned him prestigious honors, including the Kerala Sahitya Academy Kanakasri Endowment Award (2003) for Ayanam Vachana Rekhayil and the Mathan Tharakan Award for Ayodhanathinte Achuthantu (1996).
