Kerala film festival opens as exemption dispute leaves screenings uncertain
The 18th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala has begun amid uncertainty over 31 films denied censor exemption by India’s Information and Broadcasting Ministry. The Kerala State Chalachitra Academy says it is pursuing legal and other measures to obtain screening permission.
The 18th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala has begun amid uncertainty over the screening of 31 films, The Hindu reported. India’s Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has denied the films censor exemption, leaving their inclusion in the festival unclear. The supplied material does not identify the films or give the reasons for the ministry’s decision.
The Kerala State Chalachitra Academy is making efforts to secure permission for the films to be shown, according to the report. Those efforts include possible legal measures. The Minister for Cultural Affairs said the academy was pursuing all possible avenues.
The available material does not say whether any of the disputed films had been screened by the time the festival opened, or whether a legal challenge had been filed.
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