The 30th IFFK concluded in Thiruvananthapuram on a grand note on Friday.
While the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) has faced its share of issues over the years, matters escalated to another level this time when the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting denied censor exemption to as many as 19 films slated for screening. Although the Centre later approved 13 of them, the screenings of six films were ultimately cancelled. The physical absence of Resul Pookutty, chairperson of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy (KSCA), which hosts the festival on behalf of the Kerala government’s Department of Cultural Affairs, during the initial days also became a hot topic throughout the week. After facing such uproars, the 30th IFFK concluded in Thiruvananthapuram on a grand note on Friday, December 19.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who was absent during the opening event on December 12, inaugurated the closing ceremony at the Nishagandhi Auditorium in the capital city. State Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cheriyan presided over the event, which was attended by Resul Pookutty as well. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister tore into the central government for the censorship issues. He also maintained that the IFFK upholds progressive politics from top to bottom.
Ridiculing the Centre’s decision to deny screening for the Spanish movie Beef, Pinarayi Vijayan pointed out, “To them, the word ‘beef’ has only one meaning. Actually, beef also means struggle. They denied the screening without understanding any of this. It reflects the Centre’s lack of understanding of world cinema.” He also slammed the Union government for not allowing the screening of director Sergei Eisenstein’s Battleship Potemkin (1915), widely regarded as one of the landmark works in early world cinema. “It (the censor issue) was an attempt to stifle IFFK. The state government intervened in the matter, realising this. I want to assert that the IFFK is here to stay, and it will continue to do so by opposing anti-democratic, fascist moves against it. We will not bow down to encroachments on freedom of expression,” he added.
Maintaining that by denying screening for several Palestinian movies, the Centre has made its stance on the matter clear, the Chief Minister also revealed that it even denied visas to some guests from certain countries. “They want to decide who attends the IFFK. They insisted on political clearance. It is like saying, ‘if we don’t like something or someone, you also needn’t see it.’ Such incidents bring a lot of shame to our country in front of the world,” he said.
Addressing the gathering, Minister Saji Cheriyan stated that this edition of the festival concluded after overcoming significant crises. He alleged that there was a deliberate conspiracy from the very beginning of the 30th IFFK to censor films and destroy the event. The minister maintained that the Kerala government will not bow down to any threats.
A still from Two Seasons, Two Strangers.
While the Suvarna Chakoram for Best Film went to director Sho Miyake’s Japanese movie Two Seasons, Two Strangers, Carina Piazza and Lucía Bracelis were awarded the Rajata Chakoram for Best Director for the Spanish film Before The Body. The Rajata Chakoram for Best Debut Director was presented to filmmaker duo Tanushree Das and Saumyananda Sahi for their Bengali film Baksho Bondi (Shadowbox). While Tillottama Shome earned the Special Jury Mention for Performance for her work in Baksho Bondi, Shahram Mokri’s Black Rabbit, White Rabbit received the Special Jury Mention for Technical Excellence. Director Unnikrishnan Avala’s Thanthapperu (Life of a Phallus) clinched the Jury Prize in the International Competition category. On the occasion, the Lifetime Achievement award was presented by the Chief Minister to renowned Mauritanian filmmaker Abderrahmane Sissako.
The Network for the Promotion of Asian Film Centre (NETPAC) award for Best Asian Film in Competition went to Gözde Kural’s Cinema Jazireh, while Sanju Surendran’s Khidki Gaav (If On a Winter’s Night) and Unnikrishnan Avala’s Thanthapperu shared the award for Best Malayalam Film. The awards presented by the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) were also distributed on the occasion, with Khidki Gaav being named Best Film in International Competition, and Fazil Razak bagging the trophy for Best Malayalam Film of a Debut Director for Moham (Desire). The Federation of Film Societies of India (FFSI) KR Mohanan Award for Best Debut Director from India went to Tanushree Das and Soumyananda Sahi for Baksho Bondi. The Audience Poll Award, meanwhile, went to Thanthapperu.
Notable attendees at the closing ceremony included legendary filmmaker Saeed Akhtar Mirza, the 30th IFFK’s International Competition jury head Mohammad Rasoulof, Ministers V Sivankutty, KN Balagopal, and GR Anil, VK Prasanth MLA, and Culture Department Director Dr Divya S Iyer.
