Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan presented the Kerala State Film Awards at a function held in Nishagandhi Auditorium here on Saturday evening.
During his inaugural address, the chief minister said the Malayalam film industry was going through an experimental phase.
"The industry is walking the road less taken and exploring new horizons. Awards like these will only pave the way for the growth of Malayalam cinema. Today, cinema is not just a medium of entertainment, but a high art form," said Pinarayi.
He further lauded the increased participation of women in the field of cinema and used the occasion to announce financial aid of Rs 3 crore to encourage more women filmmakers to enter the fray still dominated by males.
The chief minister presented the JC Daniel Award, the state's highest honour in the field of cinema, to director K P Kumaran.
Journalist Sasikumar became the maiden recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to television.
Minister for General Education V Sivankutty released the book on the 2021 film awards by presenting a copy to Minister for Transport Antony Raju.
The second edition of the reference book, 'Malayalam Cinema, Naalvazhikal' was released by the Minister for Food and Civil Supplied G R Anil, who presented a copy of the same to V K Prasanth, MLA.
