International Film Festival of Kerala-2022 opens with Belgian refugee drama ‘Tory and Lokita’

The eight-day festival opened with the Indian premiere of the Belgian movie, Tory and Lokita. The movie, which won the Cannes 75th Anniversary Award this year, is about a young boy and adolescent girl from Africa, trying to build together a life on the streets of Belgium.

Around 180 movies from 70 countries will be screened in various theatres during the festival which will end on 16 December.

The latest edition of the festival will see around 12,000 delegates, including 200 filmmakers. Around 40 foreign delegates will be participating in the festival.

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Focus on Serbia

During the inauguration, Chief Minister Vijayan honoured Mahnaz Mohammadi, an Iranian filmmaker and women’s rights activist, with the Spirit of Cinema Award – 2022.

Greek director and jury member Athina Rachel Tsangari received the award on behalf of Mahnaz.

Minister for Culture VN Vasavan presided over the inaugural function. The resident pianist of the British Film Institute, Jonny Best, was the chief guest.

Serbia will be the focus country of the festival and will have six contemporary cinemas from the landlocked country.

The IFFK-2022 will also focus on movies from the silent era. Additionally, G Aravindan’s Thambu will be screened in the reinstated category besides holding a special screening of Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Swavayamvaram.

The director of the Golden Crow Pheasant award-winning movie will get ₹20 lakh and a citation. The director of the Silver Crow Pheasant award-winning movie will be awarded ₹4 lakh.

A purse of ₹3 lakh will be awarded to the best debutant director.

KR Mohanan Award for Best Debut Director from India will receive a cash prize of ₹1 lakh.