The Kerala State Chalachitra Academy is holding its 13th edition of the International Documentary and Short Film Festival (IDSFFK) from September 25 to 30, 2021. The decision on whether the festival will be conducted online or in theatres will be taken after considering the evolving situation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Entries for the festival have been invited and these can be submitted online through www.idsffk.in by August 10.
"The conduct of the IDSFFK, organised by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy on behalf of the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala, will be subject to the evolving situation of the global pandemic COVID-19. The festival will follow the guidelines of the Government of Kerala prevailing at that time," said a statement by the academy.
Entries can be submitted for the following categories: competition long documentary (40 minutes and above), competition short documentary (below 40 minutes), competition short fiction (60 minutes and below), animation films, campus films, focus sections and Malayalam non-competition section. The films submitted should have been completed between May 1, 2019 and April 30, 2021. Only online screeners and links are accepted as preview material due to the pandemic situation.
The Chalachitra Academy had conducted its prestigious International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) in February this year after missing its usual schedule in December 2020, due to the pandemic. The festival was then conducted in four parts of the state with the same films taken from one part to another, with limited audience and COVID-19 restrictions. There was a small controversy at the time with people in Thiruvananthapuram protesting against taking the IFFK to other places even though the same films were screened at every place. The IFFK has been hosted in the capital city for many years, even though its first edition in 1996 was held in Kozhikode.
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