Thiruvananthapuram: 'Films Directed by Women', an initiative for the empowerment of women by encouraging their creative talents by the Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC), on Tuesday got its reward when 'Nishiddho' (Forbidden) was selected for the competition section of the 13th Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFF), scheduled from March 3 to 10.
The Kerala government had allocated funds to the KSFDC for producing two movies under the project annually and the only condition was they must be helmed by female directors.
Written and directed by Tara Ramanujan, 'Nishiddho' is one of the two films produced by the KSFDC under the 'Films Directed by Women' project.
'Nishiddho' is a vivid portrayal of the lives of two migrants from West Bengal and Tamil Nadu and their struggles in a Kerala city.
Actors Kani Kusruti and Tanmay Dhanania play the leads in the film, which has cinematography by Manesh Madhavan, editing by Anzar Chennatt and music by Debojyoti Mishra.
Apart from the 'Films Directed by Women', KSFDC has launched a project to support film directors belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) communities.
Two films will soon go on the floors under this scheme, which is open to any filmmaker from the SC/ST category regardless of gender.
Congratulating the crew of 'Nishiddho', Minister for Culture Saji Cherian said Kerala is probably the first state in the country to introduce such a distinct project for encouraging creative endeavours by the underrepresented sections in filmdom.
"The project for women filmmakers is part of the government's commitment to the uplift and empowerment of women. It will provide ample creative space for them to fulfil their concepts and ideas through visual story telling. It's a seminal initiative to promote women led creative projects in the state," said Cherian.
"The films being made under these projects will be reflecting different perspectives and approaches of lived experiences. The KSFDC has been entrusted with the task of producing the films under these projects on behalf of the government," said Cherian.
Shaji N Karun, director and KSFDC Chairman, said the new initiatives will pave the way for inducing more confidence in aspiring women filmmakers and bringing out their enormous potential.
'Nishiddho' has been selected for the International Competition Section of the 26th International Film Festival of Kerala 2022 (IFFK) slated to be held from March 18 to 25. It was also selected for the 27th Kolkata International Film Festival.
Established in 1975, KSFDC is the first public sector corporation for film development in India.
