IDSFFK: Centre denies screening permission to 31 films

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has denied screening permission to 31 films scheduled to be screened at the International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK), which will begin in Thiruvananthapuram on September 25.

The films include 18 officially selected entries for the festival, nine films in the International Non-Fiction section, three films in the Festival Winners section and one film from the Nepal package. A Malayalam film is also among the films denied screening permission.

Film festivals are required to submit the list of films without censor certificates to the Centre to obtain exemption for their screening. Accordingly, the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy had submitted a list of 347 films to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting seeking the exemption. The application included brief summaries of the themes of the films. Later, as requested by the ministry, detailed synopses and screeners of 40 films were submitted for review.

The films denied permission include Parliament Street, Sanitised Republic: Caste and Contracts, Globe, Memories of a Window, Birds of War, Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk and Our Land.

Meanwhile, Minister P. C. Vishnunath has demanded that the Centre reconsider its decision to deny screening permission to the films.