Thiruvananthapuram: Noted Bengali actor Madhabi Mukherjee will be the chief guest at 22nd edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) which will be held here from December 8 to 15.
Russian filmmaker Alexander Sokurov will be presented with this year's Lifetime Achievement Award, said Kerala State Chalachitra Academy chairman Kamal at the news conference here on Monday. A retrospective of Sokurov's six films will be held at the festival.
The edition will also feature retrospectives of Philippine director Lino Brocka and noted Malayalam film maker K P Kumaran's films will be featured. In the Contemporary Master in Focus category, movies of Mexican film director Michel Franco and Chad film director Mahamat Saleh Haroun will be featured.
The Malayalam films of two debutant directors have found a place in the International Competition category. Prem Shankar's Randuper and Sanju Surendran's Aedan will be competing in the International category along with two Indian films; Newton and Village Rockstars. In the Malayalam Cinema Today category, the movies Take off, Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum, Karutha Joothan, Angamali Diaries, Maravi, Athishayangalude Venal and Nayinte Hridayam will be featured. The Indian Cinema Today category will feature seven films. The Homage category will screen movies of directors Kundan Shah, K R Mohanan, I V Sasi and Om Puri.
The festival will also include movies from other categories like Identity and Space, Contemporary Asian Cinema, Japanese Animation, Restored Classics and Jury Films.
The festival will be held across 14 theaters in the city. The fee for delegates is priced at Rs 650 and for students at Rs 350. Entry will be restricted to the number of seats in each theater.
There will be 8,000 seats in 14 theaters and only 10,000 delegate passes will be issued this year. Due to safety concerns, no delegate will be allowed to watch films either standing or sitting on the floor.
In the general category 7,000 passes will be allotted. Students and film and television professionals will be given 1,000 passes. Besides, 500 media passes and 50 passes for film society members will be issued.
Kamal, Kerala State Chalachitra Academy chairman, Bina Paul, vice-chairperson, Mahesh Panchu, secretary, H Shaji, festival deputy director, and N.P. Sajeesh deputy director (programs) at the press conference in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday.The delegate registration will begin on November 10. The dates for each category are as follows: students - November 10 to 12; general category - 13 to 15; film and television professionals - 16 to 18; film societies - 19 to 21; media - 22 to 24.
The fee can be paid online and at Akshaya centers. Those who have registered last year can use their existing user name and password. One has to click on the link 'Apply for the Event' on the site and pay the fees to complete the process of delegate registration. Registration will be confirmed based on first come first serve basis to those who pay delegate fees within the deadline.
Reservation facility will be available in all theatres and 60 per cent seats are available for reservation. Delegates aged 70 and above will not be required to stand in the queue. Their delegate passes will have a separate color.
The delegate cell will start functioning at the academy office at Sasthamangalam on November 10. Inauguration of festival office and delegate cell at Tagore Theatre will be held on 4 December.
Various programs will be held at 6pm at Tagore Theater as part of the Film Festival from 9 to 14 December. Khawali by Khutubi Brothers from Delhi, Baul music from West Bengal, Music programs by groups from Bengaluru, Chennai and Kochi, programs by Manaveeyam collective and transgenders and musical play by Abhinaya Theater group will be presented.
Touring Talkies announcing the IFFK will tour the state and conclude at Sanghumukham beach on December 3 with the performance of Karinthalakkottam, a music band.
