A few filmmakers have come together to protest against the selection process of the prestigious International Film Festival of Kerala which will have its 24th edition this December. Titled ‘Reform the IFFK’, the group of film personalities accuses the organisers of the festival – the Kerala Chalachitra Academy – of not watching all the films before rejecting them, and also choosing popular films in the Malayalam Cinema Today category.
The films in the Malayalam Cinema Today category this time include Ishq, Kumbalangi Nights, Virus, And The Oskar Goes To, Uyare and Unda, all of which had a good run at the theatres.
“For years the organizers of the International Film Festival of Kerala - IFFK Official have been flouting rules and the very purpose of a film festival: rejecting your films WITHOUT VIEWING THEM, showcasing box-office hits to please the marketplace, setting up selection panels without paying heed to the regulations, etc. WE ARE GOING TO THE COURTS!!! (sic)” begins the Facebook post on the page.
“We want to get the current IFFK selection lists of Indian and Malayalam films cancelled. We want the Academy to reconstitute the panels and make fresh and fair selections,” the post adds.
The Babusenan brothers whose films had previously been screened at the former editions of the IFFK are part of the Reform the IFFK movement. They have also received support from other filmmakers. Sanil Kumar Sasidharan had a few days ago posted that he was withdrawing his award-winning film Chola from the IFFK, protesting its ‘overtly biased and unprofessional way of selection process in the Malayalam cinema today section’. Chola, starring Nimisha Sajayan and Joju George, had been selected to the Kaleidoscope section in the IFFK.
Sanal writes, “I believe that, it would be huge irresponsibility from my part to participate in the festival which is openly biased and outdated in its selection process. Chola - Movie will be released soon in theatres! I support the #Reform_The_IFFK movement, a movement initiated by my fellow film makers in Indie cinema sector, though I am not part of that movement for personal reasons.”
Filmmaker Leena Manimekalai too shared the Facebook post by Reform the IFFK and wrote, “Exactly. I am told my film was not viewed by the Jury this time. It is sad that IFFK, the festival that played a crucial role in me becoming a filmmaker, the festival where I have been on preselection jury myself is becoming a playground for politics, corruption and nepotism by afew and the powerful. If I am being targeted for my voice, I will only amplify it. I can be defeated but cannot be destroyed.