Panaji: A section of Malayalam filmmakers, critics and writers have joined the protesting FTII students and sought an apology from the organisers of the IFFI-2015 for the ill-treatment of the students at IFFI venue.
A statement signed by 19 artists and the Federation of Films Societies of India (Kerala), was issued here on Thursday. The statement condemned the undemocratic and unjust act of the IFFI authorities (towards the students), and demanded an unconditional apology to the film students in the country.
The statement said that "This year’s IFFI will go down in history for the wrong reasons – most glaringly for systematically and deliberately denying film students, especially from FTII, their right to participate in the festival."
The signed artists include, directors K.R. Mohanan, P.T. Kunhimuhammed, M.P. Sukumaran Nair, Sanalkumar Sasidharan, Manilal and K.M. Kamal, cinematographer Sunny Joseph, editor Ajit Kumar, actor Prakash Bare, writers C.V. Balakrishnan, N. Sasidharan, P.N. Gopikrishnan and Anita Thampy, film critics V.K. Joseph, G.P. Ramachandran, Meera Saheb, T.V. Madhu, C.S. Venkiteswaran and Madhu Janardhanan,
Read the full text of the statement
Apart from being a festival of films, International Film Festival of India, we believe, is a celebration of freedom, creativity, democracy and fraternity. Year after year, IFFI has been an open platform to some of the most vibrant and creative visual expressions from all over the world that have portrayed, challenged and stood against unfreedom (sic) of all kinds.
Apart from cineastes, filmmakers, critics, and programmers from various countries, the festival is made lively very much by the presence of film students, who come from various institutions to watch and also show their films. But this year’s IFFI will go down in history for the wrong reasons – most glaringly for systematically and deliberately denying film students, especially from FTII, their right to participate in the festival. Not only were they blocked from entry to the festival, even voices of dissent in support to their struggle were suppressed.
We, the filmmakers and cineastes, strongly condemn the undemocratic and unjust act of the IFFI authorities, and demand an unconditional apology to the film students in the country.