Minister for Culture Saji Cherian
| Photo Credit: H. VIBHU
Kerala’s Minister for Cultural Affairs Saji Cherian on Tuesday (December 16, 2025) directed the State Chalachitra Academy to screen all the films as per schedule for the ongoing 30th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), including the remaining 15 films for which the Union Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry has not yet provided censor exemption.
The Minister, in a statement, lashed out at the Union government for adopting “an anti-democratic approach towards Kerala’s progressive art and cultural tradition.”
“Such an anti-democratic approach that destroys the tradition and progressive nature of the festival cannot be accepted. The government will continue to take an uncompromising stand against attacks on artistic expressions,” he said.
He said all the 19 films that were denied Central approval were recognised worldwide and were well received by film buffs. “The right of the delegates to watch these films cannot be denied. These were published in the festival schedule as well as the festival book that have been widely circulated,” he said.
The Union government’s denial of censor exemption had created an unprecedented crisis in the IFFK, which has been in existence for three decades. Political and cultural figures have voiced criticism of the Centre, alleging a clampdown on freedom of expression. The main festival venue at Tagore Theatre witnessed protests by the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) on Monday night.
Five movies get clearance
Early on Tuesday, the I&B Ministry issued clearance for five of the 19 films. The movies granted permission for screening are Beef, Eagles of The Republic, Heart of The Wolf, Yes, and Once Upon A Time In Gaza.
Among the films which denied screening include Palestinian films Palestine 36 and All That’s Left of You, and Wajib, as well as Sergei Eisenstein’s Soviet-era classic Battleship Potemkin, considered as a defining work of modern cinema, especially for its pioneering montages. The Ministry also denied clearance for the film Santosh, which portrays police brutality and casteism.
Timbuktu and Bamako, directed by Abderrahmane Sissako, who is being honoured by the IFFK with a Lifetime Achievement Award this year, have also been denied screening. Bamako points at the role played by World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) ‘in keeping Africa poor.’
Many of the films in the list, including the Egyptian drama Clash and Argentinian filmmaker Fernando Solanas’ The Hour of the Furnaces, were screened in the past editions of the festival. The other films which have been denied certification are Red Rain, Riverstone, Tunnels: Sun in the Dark, and Flames.
Published – December 16, 2025 03:13 pm IST
