The 18th edition of the International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Keralam got under way here on Friday under a cloud of censorship as uncertainty remained over the 31 films for which the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) has denied censor exemption. Inaugurating the festival at the Kairali theatre in the capital, Minister for Cultural Affairs P.C. Vishnunadh said that the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy is making all possible efforts, including legal measures, to secure permission for screening.
The screening schedule for the festival, which has been released, now has omitted the 31 films, with the academy planning to update the schedule if permission is secured. According to sources, the Union I&B Ministry has forwarded some of the films for approval to the Defence Ministry, while some have been sent to the External Affairs Ministry.
“Our wish is that all the films that the selection committee selected for the festival be screened. They had selected a total of 347 documentaries and short films from out of 1,800 submissions. The I&B Ministry sought detailed synopsis for 40 films, out of which 31 films are now held up,” said Mr. Vishnunadh.
Although it was rumoured that the Minister would make the long-pending announcement of the chalachitra academy chairperson’s name at the opening ceremony, he said that the name will be announced before the closing of the festival. He said steps are progressing to grant industry status to Malayalam cinema.
“One of the issues that we have been facing is that we don’t have any models before us, as no other State has granted industry status to cinema. On the other hand, while trying to grant industry status to the tourism sector, we had so many models because only our State remained to make that declaration. The government has decided to take decisive steps to promote the film sector. A special programme is planned for young documentary filmmakers by bringing together academia and film societies,” he said.
Filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan, the chief guest at the function, said the festival provides a great platform for viewing and discussing serious works of cinema for aspiring filmmakers.
“Keralam is the only State to have its own government-run festival for documentaries and short films. We were keen to have such a festival as normally such films don’t get a release in the cinemas nor would any of the channels show documentaries,” he said.
After the inaugural ceremony, the opening film A Fox Under a Pink Moondirected by Mehrdad Oskouei focussing on the struggles of 16-year-old Afghan artist Soraya, who has spent five years trying to escape Iran for Austria, was screened.
The second day of the festival on Saturday will witness the commencement of the competition section screenings. The Competition Short Documentary category features a compelling line-up of films, including Syed Ahmad Rufai’s Anhad: A Way of Looking, Malavika V.N.’s At Reel’s End (Viraamam), Debalina Majumder’s Friends of Jilipibala, Rahul Sood’s Boulevard - The Royal Route, and Sraiyanti’s Auto Queens.
The Competition Short Fiction category launches with standout selections such as Shashank Sahith Nammikanti’s Everything is Connected, Manguirish J. Bandodkar’s Ancessao, Christopher Joseph’s Maayan, Kiran Narayan Dhamale’s Aata Tu Motha Jhalas, and Darwin Annakumar’s Maram Marankothi.
Additionally, the Competition Long Documentaries section will showcase powerful works including Avijit Banerjee’s The Raconteur of the Dark and Kamal K.M.’s Close Up Up Close -The Making of Political Ubu.
