Thiruvananthapuram:
Antigen test to detect
Covid-19 in delegates of
International Film Festival of Kerala (
IFFK) will begin on Monday.
The testing has been arranged at Tagore Theatre. Delegates, officials, volunteers and duty staff can get tested at the facility. The testing, arranged by Kerala State Chalachithra Academy and state health department, will continue from Monday to Wednesday. The 25th IFFK begins on Wednesday.
The messages regarding date of test for all those who have registered for IFFK will be sent to registered mobile phone numbers. Academy secretary Ajoy Chandran said 150 people can get tested in an hour and the delegates may present themselves for test depending upon messages received. The delegates who test negative can receive delegate kits using negative certificates. Those who present Covid-19 negative certificates independently will also be allowed entry to the festival. This certificate shall be valid only if test has been conducted in authorised labs or hospitals 48 hours prior to the commencement of IFFK.
The academy is implementing stringent Covid-19 preventive measures at the time of conducting tests, distribution of delegate passes and conduct of the film festival.
This year, IFFK will have four Indian films vying with each other for the prestigious Suvarna Chakoram (Golden Crow Pheasant Award), the laurel for the best film of the festival. Among the two Malayalam films in this category, Lijo Jose Pellissery’s ‘Churuli’ will have its World Premiere at the festival. Jayaraj’s ‘Hasyam’, the other Malayalam film in the competition category, had been screened at various other film festivals, including the Shanghai International Film Festival. Kosa and Sthalpuran are the other two Indian films that are up for competition. Writer-director Mohit Priyadarshi’s debut film ‘Kosa’ portrays the human rights violations faced by the tribal communities in India.