The week-long event will be held at 15 venues in Thiruvananthapuram where 175 movies from 81 countries will be screened.
Published Dec 07, 2023 | 12:27 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 07, 2023 | 5:25 PM
A delegate cell was launched on the event of the 28th IFFK on 7 December. (Supplied)
The 28th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), hosted by Kerala State Chalachitra Academy on behalf of the Kerala Department of Cultural Affairs, will be kickstarted in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday, 8 December.
The week-long film festival will be held at 15 venues where 175 movies from 81 countries will be screened.
The inaugural ceremony of the 28th IFFK will be held at Nishagandhi Auditorium at 6 pm on Friday, 8 December. National Award-winning actor Nana Patekar will grace the event as chief guest.
Goodbye Julia by Sudanese director Mohamed Kordofani will be screened on the occasion.
The Kerala State Chalachithra Academy will restrict the participation of delegates. The decision has been taken in the wake of the stampede that happened at a recent music concert at Cochin University in Kochi.
The IFFK has received the stature of Asia’s best-managed film festival. It charms the best films, renowned directors, technicians, and spectators from across the globe and is acknowledged as one of the leading cultural events in India.
The IFFK also aims to present a competition section exclusively for films from Asian, African, and Latin American countries and a selection of the best of world cinema.
The event also showcases the best of Malayalam cinema for international audiences.
Thiruvananthapuram Mayor Arya Rajendran inaugurated the delegate cell of the film festival on Tuesday, 6 December.
“The 28th edition of IFFK showcases several films that depict resistance against war and violence that holds relevance in the current scenario,” Arya said.
The first delegate kit was handed over to Vincy Aloshious, who bagged the Best Actress at the Kerala State Film Awards 2022.
“This is very close to my heart and it feels like my second award”, said Vincy Aloshious.
Acclaimed director Shyamaprasad, who was present at the event, noted that the IFFK played a vital role in transforming the cinematic sensibilities of a new generation of filmmakers and film lovers across the state.
“The IFFK is a key catalyst for the remarkable transformation observed in the contemporary Malayalam film industry,” he added.
The event was presided over by Kerala State Chalachitra Academy Chairman Ranjith.
The IFFK will honour 12 legends in its “homage” category.
Eleven films that exhibit the brilliance of well-known artists will be featured in this special tribute section. This includes the Iranian masterpiece A Minor by Dariush Mehrjui — a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award in the 19th edition of IFFK.
Sumitra Peries, the first female director from Sri Lanka, will be honoured by screening her movie The Tree Goddess.
Spanish filmmaker Carlos Saura, a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award of IFFK, will be honoured and his film Cousin Angelica will be screened.
The “homage” category will also feature international classics such as Ebrahim Golestan’s Brick and Mirror, Jacques Rozier’s Adieu Philippine, Terence Davies’s Distant Voices, Still Lives, and William Friedkin’s The Exorcist.
Movies by acclaimed Malayalam directors KG George and Siddique and performances by veteran actors Innocent and Mamukkoya are also included in this category.
Evergreen classic Yavanika will be screened as a tribute to KG George, and the evergreen hit Ramjirao Speaking will be screened to honour Siddique and Innocent.
Mammukoya’s Perumazhakkalam directed by Kamal will be screened.
Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Vidheyan will also be screened to remember renowned producer K Ravindranathan Nair, who received the prestigious JC Daniel award for his significant contributions to Malayalam cinema.
Twelve Malayalam films will also be screened during the 28th IFFK.
These include B 32 Muthal 44 Vare directed by Shruthi Sharanyam, Kaathal-The Core directed by Jeo Baby, and Aattam directed by Anand Ekarshi.
Santosh Babusenan and Satish Babusenan’s Anand Monalisa Waits for Death, Vignesh P Sasidharan’s thriller drama Scheherazade, Shalini Ushadevi’s Ennennnum, Sarath VRinoshun’s Five First Dates, Gagan Dev’s Apple Plants, Prasanth Vijay’s Daayam, and Sunil Maloor’s Valassai Paravakal are the other movies to be screened in this category.
In the world film category, the IFFK will feature Justin Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall besides movies from countries like Argentina, Russia, China, Japan, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Turkey, Yemen, Iraq, Jordan, Italy, France, and Spain.
These films include 26 Oscar entries for Best Foreign Language Film. Of these, 17 films are directed by women directors.
