Wed Dec 17 15:32:59 UTC 2025: News Article:
IFFK Regains Momentum After Censor Exemption Dispute
Thiruvananthapuram, India – December 17, 2025 – The International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) has largely resumed its scheduled screenings after facing unprecedented disruptions due to the Union Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry’s initial denial of censor exemptions for 19 films.
The crisis unfolded earlier this week, prompting the Kerala government to direct the State Chalachitra Academy to screen the films in defiance of the ministry’s stance. As of Wednesday, the Union ministry has reportedly granted exemptions to several more films, leaving only six still pending clearance. However, confusion arose when the academy postponed the screening of one of these six films.
The initial denial of exemptions sparked public outrage, leading a former IFFK artistic director, Deepika Suseelan, to suggest that procedural lapses by festival organizers contributed to the issue. Suseelan claimed that delays in submitting films for clearance by the Chalachitra Academy were the root cause. She stated that film lists and necessary documents should be submitted by the first week of November.
In response, Academy officials maintain that the denials were politically motivated, emphasizing that only a select few films faced issues.
Adding to the festival’s challenges, the absence of Kerala State Chalachitra Academy (KSCA) chairman Resul Pookutty, due to prior commitments abroad, has drawn criticism from prominent filmmakers. Director Kamal, a former KSCA chairman, voiced his disappointment, noting that the festival should ideally have its head present. Filmmaker Bijukumar Damodaran said this IFFK is the first ever to be held without the chairman or an artistic director.
Despite the controversies, the IFFK is now operating closer to its original schedule, with films like “A Poet,” “Eagles of the Republic,” and “Flames” being screened after initial cancellations.
First Piper 