Thiruvananthapuram: IFFK gained a prominent spot in world’s cultural map owing to its uncompromising political stand, said chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan while inaugurating the 25th IFFK here on Wednesday.
“This festival has stood by the oppressed and anguished sections of the society. That is the reason why IFFK prioritizes films from the African, Asian and Latin-American countries. Only films from third-world countries are allowed in the competition section. This stand arises from the struggle against the cultural capitalism of America and Europe. IFFK assumes a distinct identity from other film festivals which disregard political ideals and only focus is on entertainment value,” said Vijayan. He also said that the lifetime achievement award is part of the political stand.
The inaugural function began with lighting of 25 lamps symbolizing 25th anniversary of IFFK. Adoor Gopalakrishnan received the lifetime achievement award on behalf of Jean-Luc Godard on the occasion.
On Thursday, 24 films will be screened at six different theatres in the city. Lijo Jose Pellissery’s ‘Churuli’ will have its world premiere on Thursday at the Tagore Theatre, at 2:45pm. The film narrates the tale of two men, on the trail of another man inside a dense forest, encountering mysterious events. Mahesh Narayanan’s ‘C U Soon’ which was made during the lockdown period in Kerala, will be screened under the category Malayalam Cinema.
Six films will be screened in the International Competition category. As many as 11 films in the World cinema category and two films in the Indian Cinema Now category will be showcased.
Kim-Ki-duk’s ‘Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring’ which won the Grand Bell Award and Blue Dragon Award for Best Film will feature in the Homage category.