International film festival begins in Kerala

For the first time in the history of the festival, the venues have been divided into four different regions of the state - Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Thalassery and Palakkad - due to the pandemic.

Thiruvanthapuram:The 25th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) officially kicked off on Wednesday with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurating the function at Nishagandhi auditorium.

Addressing the crowd, CM Pinarayi Vijayan said that the IFFK has entered the cultural map of the world due to its uncompromising political stance.

Culture Minister AK Balan and Speaker P. Sriramakrishnan who was the chief guest presided over the function.

As the opening film of the festival, Bosnian film Quo Vadis, Aida?, directed by Jasmila Zbanic was screened. Director Adoor Gopalakrishnan received the Lifetime Achievement Award for Jean-Luc Godard.

Due to the pandemic situation, Godard could not attend the function. However, "Godard Pala Yathrakal", a book written by GP Ramachandran, was released at the function.

For the first time in the history of the festival, the venues have been divided into four different regions of the state - Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Thalassery and Palakkad - due to the pandemic.

Every delegate and officials taking part in the festival are being subjected to free antigen tests organized by the academy, in association with the state Health Department. Only those who test negative will be allowed entry into the festival venues.

The festival is conducted following the COVID-19 norms.