25th IFFK draws to a close; had Ernakulam in thrall

KOCHI: The second leg of the 25th International Film Festival of Kerala concluded here on Sunday, winning the heart of cinephiles from Ernakulam and neighbouring districts. Kochi had the chance to host IFFK after 21 years, which was lapped up by delegates from different regions, wholeheartedly adhering to the current restrictions and Covid-19 protocols. 

Now, the festival will move to Thalassery where the screenings will be held from February 23 to 27. The final leg will be held in Palakkad from March 1 to 5.Movies across six categories were screened during the festival at six theatres -- Saritha, Savitha, Sangeetha, Padma, Kavitha and Sreedhar. The festival screened 14 movies in the International Competition category, including Malayalam movies ‘Churuli’ by Lijo Jose Pellissery and ‘Hasyam’ by Jayaraj. The festival ended with the screening of ‘Desterro’ by Maria Escobar. Movies like ‘Biriyani’, ‘The Names of Flowers’, ‘ There Is No Evil’ and ‘Summer of 85’ received critical appreciation. Open Forums and ‘Meet the Director’ sessions conducted both online and offline helped bring relevant discussions on board.

Contribution to Kochi’s economy

Industry spokespersons are hoping that MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) tourism, which has been stalled for a year, will be revived after it became clear that events such as film festivals could be organised safely if Covid protocols are strictly adhered to.. It is a niche area of tourism that is focused on the planning and booking for groups for large events, conferences or seminars.

MICE tourists spend more money than regular leisure travellers. It is estimated that a conference tourist spends $1,400-1,500 while a regular tourist spends $500 per day. Though there is a long way to go before normal situation returns to the tourism segment in Kochi, the successful conduct of the IFFK in the city would trigger growth, say experts. The film festival was the largest conference-exhibition event organised in the state during the past one year. 

The film festival has proved good for smaller businesses too. Local traders reported that the film carnival was encouraging. IFFK has brought good news to Kochi city, said P M Rasheed, who runs a juice and snacks shop close to the Saritha theatre complex. “Due to the Covid pandemic, theatres had remained shut. But now, IFFK has brought new hope for businesses. In the last five days, business has doubled,” he added.

Pick of the lot
Malayalam films received great appreciation during the festival. Malayalam films like Lijo Jose Pellissery’s ‘Churuli’, Jayaraj’s ‘Hasyam’, ‘Biriyani’, ‘Santhoshathinte Onnam Rahasyam’ etc were well received. The festival was also notable for the presence of promising debutants. It featured works of 10 first-time directors