Following the Union Ministry's denial of censor exemptions for 19 films, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan has directed the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) to screen them anyway. The 30th edition, underway since December 13 with 206 films from 82 countries, faces scheduling challenges but will proceed amid ongoing protests.
In response to the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting's refusal to grant censor exemptions—initially denying 19 films but later approving four (Beef, Once Upon a Time in Gaza, Eagles of the Republic, Heart of the Wolf)—Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced on social media that all denied films will be screened at the ongoing 30th IFFK.
Vijayan criticized the Centre's decision as an 'unacceptable' act of censorship, stating on Facebook: “The Union Government’s move... shows the totalitarian approach of the Sangh Parivar regime, which suppresses diverse voices and creative expressions.” A Kerala Chalachitra Academy official confirmed screenings of denied films would start December 18, though some might face slot constraints.
The ministry cited a late submission (December 3) with incomplete documents for the delays; of 187 reviewed films, 178 were approved. Denied films still include Battleship Potemkin, The Hour of the Furnaces, A Poet: Unconcealed Poetry, All That’s Left of You, Bamako, Clash, Palestine 36, Red Rain, Riverstone, Tunnels: Sun In The Dark, Yes, Flames, Timbuktu, and Wajib.
This escalation follows initial protests against the ban, highlighting Centre-state tensions over the festival in Thiruvananthapuram.
