As the International Film Festival of Kerala is all set to begin, there is already some confusion over seats. If the government refuses to allocate full seats in the theatres which are screening the International Film Festival, there would hardly be 3750 seats for those who attend the screenings. That also means the number of delegates will have to be significantly reduced. This will be such a setback for those who are looking forward to the event post the pandemic. It is highly unlikely that the IFFK will be back in its earlier glory if this is how things are planned. Shortage of audiences will take the shine off such film festivals.
But in case they allow full seats, 7500 seats will be available. At least 9000 delegates can be seated for the festival. They will also be able to contain a large number of people who want to attend the film festival. The government has decided to hold the Kerala International Film Festival from March 18 to 25, which was supposed to be held at the end of last year. The organizers are hopeful that by March the covid situation will be under control and will bring enough people to the event. Apart from Nishagandhi, the eight-day film festival will be held on 14 screens in Tagore, Kalabhavan, Ajanta, Sripadmanabha, Kripa, Aries Plex, Kairali, Sri and New.
180 films
Around 180 films from various countries will be screened. As usual, there will be 14 films from Asia, Africa, and Latin American countries for the international competition category. The main attraction of the festival is the world cinema section which contains 90 latest films which also includes films from the Masters. Selected films will be screened in the 'Indian Cinema Now' category. 12 Malayalam films will be screened in the 'Malayalam Cinema Today' category. In the ‘Indian Cinema Now’ category, they will be screening chosen 7 films. As a tribute to the late thespian Nedumudi Venu, there will be a retrospective of his films included in the festival. There will also be a special section called 'Kaleidoscope' which will feature Indian films and Masters' films screened at FIAF accredited foreign film festivals.
Films from countries with conflict zones
Another special feature this year will be 'Films from Conflict' which features films that capture the lives of people in conflict-torn countries. There will be films from Afghanistan, Myanmar and Kurdistan included in this category. These films will reflect the political unrest and other conflicts of these countries. Films that have won FIPRESCI awards at various international film festivals over the past two years are being screened under the title "FIPRESCI critics week". There will also be a special 'Homage' section for those filmmakers who have passed away last year.
The fair will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Vijayan on March 18 at 6 pm at Nishagandhi Auditorium. Preparations are progressing under the leadership of Ranjith, the new chairman of the film academy. He is the director of the film festival.
