After the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting declined permission for several films to be screened at the 30th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) 2025, including four films focused on Palestine, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the decision. He announced that all films denied screening permission would still be showcased at the festival.
“The Union Government’s decision to deny screening permission to films scheduled at the IFFK is unacceptable,” Vijayan stated on Facebook. The left-led government characterized the refusal of film screenings as an attempt to stifle “dissenting voices and diverse creative expressions” within the nation.
“The censorship imposed at the film festival is a stark example of the authoritarian rule of the Sangh Parivar regime, which seeks to suppress dissenting voices and diverse creative expressions in the country. Enlightened Kerala will not bow to such acts of censorship. All films that were denied screening permission will be screened at the festival,” he added.
The films regarding Palestine that faced rejection include “Palestine 36,” “Yes, Once Upon a Time in Gaza,” and “All That’s Left of You.” Notably, “Palestine 36,” presented in Arabic and English, was slated as the inaugural film of the event.
In addition to the films focusing on Palestine, several others were also denied screening, including “A Poet: Unconcealed Poetry,” “Bamako,” Sergei Eisenstein’s classic “Battleship Potemkin,” as well as “Beef,” “Clash,” “Eagles of The Republic,” “Heart of The Wolf,” “Red Rain,” “Riverstone,” “The Hour of The Furnaces,” “Tunnels: Sun In The Dark,” “Flames,” “Timbuktu,” “Wajib,” and “Santosh.”
Film organizers submit titles to the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for approval ahead of the festival. The ministry retains the authority to reject films it deems harmful to diplomatic relations, although no reasons were provided for the current denials, according to Kerala authorities.
The IFFK, organized by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy under the state’s cultural affairs department, attracts thousands of attendees each year. This year’s event in Thiruvananthapuram is set to run from December 12 to December 19.
MA Baby, general secretary of the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) in the state, criticized the ban, stating, “This absurd and lunatic attempt to derail IFFK, which is organized by the Government of Kerala, is the latest example of neo-fascist tendencies under the extreme authoritarian rule of Modi, Shah, and Mohan Bhagwat. Artists, filmmakers, and all democratic-minded citizens must raise their voices against this disgraceful move.”
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