Culture & Entertainment · India Bureau
Kerala film academy urged to screen competition entries withheld by Centre
Former jury members of the International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala have called on the state academy to allow screening of five competition films that remain unwatched due to denial of censor exemption by the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
LSN India ·
The five films selected for the competition category at the ongoing 18th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK) have yet to be screened, creating procedural complications for the festival's jury process. The films have been held up after the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting declined to grant censor exemption, a standard requirement for films at the national festival.
Former jury members have now intervened, urging the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, which oversees the festival, to find a resolution that would permit the screening of competition entries. The inability to view these films has raised concerns about the integrity of the jury selection process and the festival's schedule.
The 18th IDSFFK, one of India's premier platforms for documentary and short film makers, faces an unprecedented situation as bureaucratic clearances have effectively stalled the festival's proceedings. The withholding of censor exemption by the central ministry has not been publicly explained, leaving festival organizers and film professionals seeking clarity on the grounds for denial.
The Kerala State Chalachitra Academy has not yet publicly responded to the former jury members' appeal, though the situation underscores ongoing tensions between film festivals seeking creative freedom and regulatory bodies imposing content restrictions. Industry observers are closely monitoring the development as it may set precedent for future independent film festivals in India.