Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday slammed the centre for denying censorship to films proposed to be screened at the 30th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK). Speaking at the concluding ceremony of the IFFK, Vijayan termed the centre’s move disgraceful.

“One of the films which was banned was ‘The Beef’. It is a movie about hip-hop music. They mistook it for something else. It reflects the centre’s ignorance of world cinema, which is shameful,” said the CM.

Initially, 19 films were denied censorship by the centre. Later, 12 films were granted clearance; however, screening of six films had to be cancelled following a directive from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Vijayan said that such acts cannot be brushed aside as mere technicalities of bureaucrats due to their ignorance. “It was politically motivated and was an intrusion into the freedom of expression. Anti-democratic, fascist steps will be opposed; that’s why we made a decision to screen films which did not receive clearance from the centre. We decided to stand by the right of delegates,” said Vijayan.

The Chief Minister said that it was not just movies which were being banned. “Visa was denied for certain guests. They want to decide who attends the IFFK. They insisted on political clearance. It is like saying, If they don’t like something or someone, you also needn’t see it,” he said.

Vijayan stressed the need to reclaim cultural spaces and keep them secure from communal forces. Minister for Culture Saji Cherian also reiterated that the state didn’t flinch on its proclaimed stand to challenge the centre’s decision.

The closing ceremony was held on Friday evening at the Nishagandhi Open Air Auditorium in Thiruvananthapuram, with the programme beginning at 6 pm. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the event, which was presided over by Minister for Cultural Affairs Saji Cherian.

The event paused to honour cinematic legacies, with veteran filmmaker Saeed Mirza being felicitated for his five decades of contribution to Indian cinema. Mirza currently serves as Chairman of the K R Narayanan National Institute of Visual Science and Arts, Kottayam.

Global cinema also found its moment on the Nishagandhi stage, as Mauritanian filmmaker Abderrahmane Sissako, the recipient of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and jury chairperson Mohammed Rasool were honoured by the Chief Minister.

Key awards that form the competitive core of the festival were presented during the ceremony, including the Suvarna Chakoram for Best Film, along with the Audience Award, Theatre Award and Media Award.

The ceremony was attended by several political, cultural and film personalities, including Ministers V Sivankutty, K N Balagopal and G R Anil; V K Prasanth MLA; Kerala State Chalachitra Academy (KSCA) Chairman Dr Resul Pookutty; Culture Department Director Dr Divya S Iyer; KSCA Secretary C Ajoy; Vice Chairperson Cuckoo Parameswaran; KSFDC Chairman K Madhu; State Cultural Activists’ Welfare Fund Board Chairman Madhupal; and KSCA General Council Member Santosh Keezhattur.

The 30th edition of IFFK will conclude with the screening of the Suvarna Chakoram-winning film at the Nishagandhi Open Air Auditorium, bringing the festival to a reflective close.