Films which did not get permission will be shown in Kerala festival: CM Pinarayi Vijayan
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that all the films which were denied screening at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) will still be screened as part of the festival.
After the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting denied permission to 19 films to be screened at the 2025 International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) in Thiruvananthapuram, the state government announced that the films will still be screened as part of the festival.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan argued that film festivals are platforms for artistic expression and debate, not instruments of ideological control. Vijayan replied in strong words, “Whatever films have been Screening permission refused Will be displayed in the festival. The action of the Central Government in denying permission to films to be screened at the 30th International Film Festival of Kerala is unacceptable. Censorship at the film festival is a direct reflection of the authoritarian rule of the Sangh Parivar regime, which suppresses diverse voices and creative expressions in the country. Enlightened Kerala will not bow before such censorship.”
The event, which began on 12 December and runs till 19 December, is organized by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy and is usually attended by thousands of delegates from all over the world. The list of banned films included several titles focused on Palestine and the Spanish film beef, resulting in a hiatus in the schedule and widespread criticism from attendees and organizers.
The rejected films include Palestine 36, Yes, Once Upon a Time in Gaza and All That’s Left of You, which all address Palestinian themes. Notably, Palestine 36 was selected as the opening film of the festival and had already been screened.
Earlier, after being denied screening of films at the festival, the CPI(M)-affiliated Democratic Youth Federation of India had protested against the ministry’s decision. This followed calls for a reaction from the artistic and broader democratic community, with a former minister saying, “Artists, filmmakers and all democratically minded citizens should raise their voices against this outrageous move,” urging collective action against the ministry’s directive.