Kerala Government to Screen All Films at IFFK Despite Centre’s Denial of Clearance

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has come out firmly against the Centre’s decision to block 19 films selected for screening at the 30th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK). Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cherian have said the films will be screened as per the original schedule, without disruption, and that instructions to this effect have already been issued to the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy.

Responding to the controversy, the Chief Minister said the Union government’s refusal to grant screening permission was unacceptable. He described the censorship imposed at the festival as part of an authoritarian approach that seeks to silence dissent and curb diverse creative expression in the country. Such acts of censorship, he said, would not be accepted by progressive Kerala, making it clear that all films denied clearance would be screened at the festival.

Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cherian said the Centre’s action reflected an anti-democratic mindset directed against Kerala’s progressive artistic and cultural tradition. Any attempt to weaken the legacy and progressive character of IFFK cannot be accepted, he said, adding that the state would continue to take a firm stand against attacks on artistic freedom.

Saji Cherian also pointed out that the films denied central clearance are internationally recognised works that have been screened and appreciated across the world. Festival delegates, he said, have a clear right to watch these films, particularly as the titles had already been listed in the official programme and catalogue and widely publicised. Preventing viewers from accessing them amounts to a denial of that right, he added.

According to the minister, the Centre’s move has pushed IFFK—now completing three decades—into an unprecedented situation. It was in this context, he said, that the state government decided to ensure the festival proceeds exactly as announced.

Kerala State Chalachitra Academy chairman Resul Pookutty also said the Academy had decided to go ahead with the screening of all films as scheduled, despite the Centre withholding clearance for some titles.

The Academy had earlier sought permission from the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to screen 187 films at IFFK. Clearances were granted in two phases for 168 films. Traditionally, film festivals screen films without censor certificates under exemption provisions. However, the Central Board of Film Certification insisted that films should not be screened without a censor certificate, forcing organisers to defer several screenings.

Even four days after the festival began, the Centre has yet to take a decision on 19 films. The list includes titles that were screened at earlier editions of IFFK and other international festivals, as well as films that had received screening permission years ago. So far, the Centre’s stand has led to the disruption of nine screenings—something without precedent in the history of IFFK.

While permission was granted on Tuesday for four additional films after sustained criticism, clearance is still pending for the remaining 15 titles, leaving several films listed in the programme unavailable to festival-goers. It was against this backdrop that the state government once again reiterated its position.