No defiance, only obedience, Kerala cancels screening of 6 films at IFFK

The Kerala State Chalachitra Academy has swallowed its promised act of defiance and bowed to the centre, cancelling the screening of six films at the 30th IFFK. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had delayed the exemption from censorship for these films. The state government defied this diktat and declared that it would proceed with the screening of the films as per the schedule. Following this, 12 films were issued clearance, and with the centre refusing to clear six films for screening, the academy cancelled the schedule, reportedly following directions from the Chief Secretary. 

Clash, Eagles of the Republic, Flames, Yes, All that’s left of you, and A poet: Unconcealed poetry are the six films which were cancelled. The films are from Indonesia, Egypt, Palestine, and one of the films is by an Indian director.

Minister for Film and Culture Saji Cherian told Onmanorama that the government stuck with the stand; however, concerns over bilateral aspects were raised. “I sent a letter to the officials even today to go ahead with the screening. The centre has sent letters to the Chief Secretary, saying that films without clearance shall not be screened. The officials may have acted accordingly,” he said.

Academy chairman Resul Pookutty on Thursday said the root of the crisis lay in a directive issued by the Intelligence Bureau (IB) before the festival, which mandated that all international delegates arrive only on conference or symposium category visas instead of the business visas used in previous editions.

“This was the first time such a directive was issued. Conference visas involve a complex process, including political clearance, detailed documentation and portal-based approvals, all of which take time,” he said.

He said political clearance, which is mandatory even to apply for such visas, was received only on December 2, delaying the finalisation of the delegate and film lists. “We submitted the list on December 3. Just a day before the festival began, we received a notice from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting stating that screening permission was denied for 187 films. At that point, even the festival itself seemed uncertain,” he said.

Following sustained intervention by senior bureaucrats, ministers and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor, screening permissions began arriving in batches. “We first received clearance for around 100 films, then another 20, and so on,” Pookutty said.

However, discrepancies between oral assurances and written orders forced the Academy to cancel four shows on one day. “It was at that stage that Kerala took a strong political stand that the films would be screened. Because of that stand, 12 out of the remaining 19 films were cleared overnight,” he said.

Eventually, 180 of the 187 films received clearance. One film, despite having a CBFC certificate, was removed from the screening list, leaving only six films that did not receive permission.

Pookutty said the authorities did not officially communicate the reasons for denying clearance to those films, nor did they formally state that the matter had been referred to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). “The explanation conveyed to me was that the films were linked to India’s bilateral relations and foreign policy considerations,” he said.

After receiving a written note from the Chief Secretary citing mandatory compliance, the Academy decided to exclude the six films. “As a government-funded cultural organisation, we cannot take a confrontational stand against India’s external affairs policy. I take full responsibility for that decision,” Pookutty said.

“This does not mean Kerala diluted its political stand. Diplomatic relations are not something to be played with. India comes first,” he added.

Dismissing allegations of procedural lapses, Pookutty said the Academy acted promptly at every stage. “I have explained the complete timeline. If filmmakers from certain countries do not receive visas, how can we screen their films? The disappointment of delegates is understandable, but only six films were affected,” he said.