Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurates 21st edition of IFFK at Nisagandhi auditorium, Thiruvananthapuram. Photo: Ramesh Chandran KPThiruvananthapuram: The 21st edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) kick-started here, offering film buffs an array of films from across the globe.
Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the opening ceremony of the week-long festival by lighting the traditional lamp.
Inaugurating the festival in the presence of a galaxy of eminent personalities and delegates, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said IFFK is an event well within the reach of all art lovers.
Cultural affairs minister AK Balan, who chaired the meet, said this edition of the festival shares the pain of refugees all over the world which is a prominent theme of the event. Addressing the event, finance minister Thomas Isaac said the proposed Film City in the Chitranjali studio complex will be a reality within two years.
The renovated Nishangadhi auditorium was filled with movie lovers including foreign delegates. Actor-director Amol Palekar was the chief guest of the function.
Amol Palekar addresses the gathering. Photo: Ramesh Chandran KPThe city will witness the harmony of cinema on and off the screen as 185 films from 62 countries have been arrayed for the extravaganza.
The Afghan-Iranian drama film ‘Parting’, directed by Navid Mahmoud, was the opening film screened at the auditorium here. Fifteen films will compete for this year’s International competition section. Among the four Indian films chosen for this category, two are Malayalam films.
Czech actor-director Jirí Menzel speaks after receiving lifetime achievement award. Photo: Ramesh Chandran KPFor the first time, the work of a female Malayalam filmmaker - Vidhu Vincent’s ‘Manhole’ - has found its place in the competition category. Under the world cinema category, there are 81 films, prominently lined up from 50 countries, including India.
Actor Aparna Balamurali, script writer Didi Damodaran and director TV Chandran after the inagural function. Photo: Ramesh Chandran KPThe films will be screened every day from 9.00 am till midnight. Reservation facilities for the delegates have started for December 10 shows. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has ruled that national anthem should be played before every screening and that the national flag should be shown on screen when the anthem is played.
Other events such as the Open Forum, In Conversation, panel discussions and seminars will also take place alongside the movie screenings, at various venues. Ethiopian director, writer, and producer Haile Germia will deliver this year’s Aravindan Memorial lecture on December 14.
