The first International Film Festival of Kerala in North Malabar, which opened in Thalassery on Tuesday, attracted huge crowds of young and old people alike.
There was palpable excitement in the air as movie buffs from parts of Kannur district and even neighbouring districts flooded Liberty theatre to witness the historic moment unfold.
Inaugurating the festival, Culture Minister A.K. Balan said the Thalassery edition of the film festival was a historic event.
It was the government’s policy to construct cultural centres in all districts.
The working women’s hostel, named after P.K. Rosy, an actress in the first Malayalam film “Vigathakumaran”, and the monuments to many of the actors, including Sathyan and Nazir, were the result of the will of this government.
A.N. Shamseer, MLA, and chairman of the organising committee, said people of Thalassery had taken the film festival to their heart.
Kerala State Chalachithra Academy chairman Kamal said that the active participation of people in the fest validated the decision to hold the fest at four venues in the State.
20 films screened
On day one, the theatre was packed by viewers to watch “Quo Vadis, Aida”, the inaugural film of the festival, that captures the story of Bosnia’s atrocities. Twenty films in different languages were screened in six theatres.
Besides the Chinese film “Striding into the Wind” and French film “Summer of 85”, Malayalam films “Paapam Cheyyathavar Kalleriyatte,” by Shambhu Purushothaman, Senna Hegde's “Thinkalazhca Nishchayam” and Prithvi Konanur’s “Pinki Elli?” (Where is Pinky) were screened in the Indian cinema category.
