Centre clears 23 of 31 films for Kerala documentary festival

The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has granted censor exemption for 23 of the 31 films initially denied clearance for the 18th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK), which began on September 25. The clearance followed legal action by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, which issued a formal notice to the Ministry. The Kerala High Court was scheduled to hear the matter on September 26. Screenings of the cleared films will begin from the third day of the festival, and a revised schedule will be published on the IDSFFK website.

Eight films remain unapproved, including five in the competition section: the long documentaries 'Parliament Street', 'Sanitised Republic', and 'Redlight to Limelight', the short documentary 'The Mali and the Parasite', and the short fiction 'In Search of Buddha'. The News Minute reports that the Ministry objected to the use of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's voiceover in 'Sanitised Republic', and the filmmakers edited the film twice to remove references to the Prime Minister's Office but still did not receive clearance. Other withheld films include 'Shimmering Odyssey', 'Far From Home', and 'Starlet Echoes'.

Filmmakers of the rejected films told The News Minute they are seeking a meeting with the new chairperson of the Kerala Chalachitra Academy to demand an explanation. They have also asked whether the jury will hold a private screening for competition films or whether the competition will be cancelled. The festival ends on September 30.