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The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has denied censor exemption to 31 films selected for the 18th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK), putting their scheduled screenings in doubt.
The films include 18 from the festival’s official selection, nine from the International Non-Fiction section, three from the Festival Winners section and one from the Nepal Package. Malayalam film Globe is among the films that have not received the exemption.
Films screened at festivals such as IDSFFK do not require a regular censor certificate. However, since they are not certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), organisers are required to obtain an exemption from the Union Ministry to screen them.
IDSFFK is scheduled to take place from September 25 to 30.
The Kerala State Chalachitra Academy had approached the ministry seeking exemption for 347 films selected for the festival. The Academy submitted synopses describing the content of the films along with its application. The ministry subsequently sought more detailed material for some films, following which screeners and detailed synopses of 40 films were submitted for scrutiny.
Among the films denied exemption is Sanitised Republic: Cast(e) and Contracts. The documentary follows sanitation workers at Delhi’s Kalawati Saran Children’s Hospital and Lady Hardinge Medical College who continued working during the COVID-19 pandemic but lost their jobs in June 2022. Their efforts to secure employment and dignity form the backdrop for the film’s examination of contractual labour and the caste-linked nature of sanitation work.
Another affected film, Parliament Street, looks at how public and personal memories intersect with the history associated with the Parliament street in Delhi, capturing its landmarks and everyday people.
Several international documentaries on conflict and political upheaval are also on the list. Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk presents an intimate account of life in Gaza through video calls between filmmaker Sepideh Farsi and young Palestinian photojournalist Fatma Hassouna. This is also a haunting testament to resilience in everyday Gaza life.
Memories of a Window centres on the protests in Iran and the way civilians documented the unrest from inside their homes. Birds of War draws on 13 years of personal archives belonging to a London-based Lebanese journalist and a Syrian activist, using their relationship against the backdrop of revolution, war and exile.
The latest decision echoes a similar controversy at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) in December 2025. The Union government had then denied censor exemption to 19 films scheduled for the festival, including Palestinian films and the century-old Soviet film Battleship Potemkin. Some of the films on the original list were subsequently granted exemption following discussions between the state and Union governments.
