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Indian Government Blocks 19 Films at Kerala Film Festival
Kerala defends artistic freedom amid Centre's denial of censor exemptions for 19 films, leading to festival disruptions and protests, officials said.
- On December 16, Kerala ordered organisers to screen all films at the International Film Festival of Kerala, ensuring cancelled films proceed despite the Union Ministry's denial.
- The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting denied the special censor exemption to 19 films, after the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy submitted the list nearly 10 days prior but received denial one day before opening.
- Festival organisers noted the cancellations included canonical and contemporary titles from many countries, spanning Palestinian films and international works such as Sergei Eisenstein's 'Battleship Potemkin' and 'Wajib' , which won IFFK's Suvarna Chakoram.
- Festival attendees protested as screenings were disrupted, and after interventions, a few films won exemptions while 15 await MEA approval; Saji Cherian and Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the move as anti-democratic.
- Observers warned the episode damages the festival's legacy and exposed inconsistencies in India's censorship regime, while Kerala government objections called the denials an unnecessary intrusion into the state's cultural sphere and noted that the Ministry of External Affairs must be consulted on diplomatic sensitivities.
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IFFK proceeds with more censor exempted films being screened
After unprecedented scheduling issues caused by the Union Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry’s denial of censor exemption to 19 films, International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) appeared to return normalcy on Wednesday with films including A Poet, Eagles of the Republic and Flames which were cancelled on the previous days getting screened.
·India
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'Banned 'Beef' Because Of Title': Shashi Tharoor On Kerala Film Fest Row
Senior Congress leader and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor has slammed the Centre's decision to block the screening of 19 films at the International Film Festival of Kerala, saying the list suggests "extraordinary degree of cinematic illiteracy"
·New Delhi, India
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources12
Leaning Left4Leaning Right2Center2Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Left
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources lean Left
50% Left
L 50%
C 25%
R 25%
Factuality
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