Thiruvananthapuram: The annual International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), which was cancelled this year in the wake of the devastating August deluge, will be conducted in a low-key affair. Minister A K Balan said on Saturday that the festival would be conducted at half the cost of the previous year.
The minister said a final decision would be taken after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan returned after treatment from the US.
The government had cancelled all events, including the IFFK and the State School Youth Festival, Kalolsavam, after massive floods caused widespread damage in the state. The government also called for donating all funds earmarked for such events to the Chief Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund.
The IFFK, held in December, attracts hundreds of movie buffs to the state every year. Earlier, the government had put off the annual Onam celebrations too. The amount set apart for the celebrations were also used for relief work. Even the annual Nehru trophy boat race was postponed.
Over 480 people lost lives in the state since the onset of the monsoon on May 28 apart from massive damage to property and infrastructure. Thousands were rendered homeless in the August floods, the worst in a century.
Last year, a total of Rs 6 crore was spent for IFFK. This year, the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy has set an estimate of Rs 3 crore. Out of this, Rs 2 crore will be collected as delegate fee. If this proposal gets approved, the academy will be able to hold the festival as a low-budget affair, without compromising on the quality of events and movies being shown. The academy plans to cut cost by avoiding foreigners as jury members and cutting down the prize money for awards.
