Union I&B Ministry denies censor exemption to 31 films at IDSFFK in Keralam
The films being prevented from screening at the IDSFFK include 18 officially selected films for the festival, nine films in the International Non-Fiction section, three films in the Festival Winners section and one film from the Nepal Package
The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has refused to grant censorship exemption to 31 films that were set to be shown at the 18th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK) in Kerala. This follows a similar crackdown during the 30th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) last year, where 19 films were denied exemption before some were eventually approved.
Among the denied films are 18 selected for the main festival, nine in the International Non-Fiction section, three winners, and one from Nepal. Malayalam film Globe is also among those rejected. While films at festivals typically do not need a censor certificate, they require an exemption from the Union Ministry to be screened. The Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, which submitted a list of 347 films for exemption, had also provided detailed synopses and screeners for 40 films.
One denied film, Sanitised Republic: Cast(e) and Contracts, focuses on sanitation workers exposed to COVID-19 risks and job losses. Another, Parliament Street, explores public memory, personal memories, and history on a significant national street. International documentaries like Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk, and Memories of a Window, which depicts Iran's crackdown on protests, were also denied.
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