8 months ago
IFFK 2025 Ends Amid Censorship Row
The International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) 2025 faced a big problem when the central government said no to showing 19 movies without censorship.
Later, they allowed 13 of these movies, but six were still not shown.
The festival's chairperson, Resul Pookutty, was not there at the start, which people talked about.
Despite these issues, the festival ended well on December 19.
The Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, who was not at the opening, spoke at the closing ceremony.
He criticized the central government for trying to control what movies could be shown.
The festival gave its top award to a movie called 'Two Seasons, Two Strangers'.
The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting initially denied censor exemption to 19 films for IFFK 2025.
Later, 13 of these films were approved, but six were ultimately cancelled.
Resul Pookutty, chairperson of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, was absent during the initial days of the festival.
The 30th IFFK concluded on December 19, 2025, with the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurating the closing ceremony.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan criticized the central government for censorship issues and maintained that IFFK upholds progressive politics.
- Who
- International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) 2025 organizers, Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Resul Pookutty
- What
- Censorship row and cancellation of six films, conclusion of IFFK 2025
- Where
- Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
- When
- December 12-19, 2025
- Why
- Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting denied censor exemption to 19 films, later approving 13, and the cancellation of six films
Key facts
- Event
- International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) 2025
- Best Film
- Two Seasons, Two Strangers
- Films Denied Censor Exemption
- 19
- Films Approved Later
- 13
- Films Cancelled
- 6
- Chief Minister
- Pinarayi Vijayan
- Chairperson of KSCA
- Resul Pookutty
- Closing Ceremony Location
- Nishagandhi Auditorium, Thiruvananthapuram
Quotes
Resul Pookutty
Chairman of the Kerala Chalachitra Academy and Oscar winner
“The delay in clearance of the movies from the union government was more of a bureaucratic one than a political one. The stand of the state government, to screen all the 19 movies that did not get a clearance, fastened things up and except for six movies, we got clearance for all others.”
rediff.com
“MHA said that all foreign delegates coming to IFFK should apply for conference/symposium visas. Earlier, we used to bring them in on business visas and the procedure was simpler. But for the conference visas, we could only apply through a portal, with no person-to-person communication.”
rediff.com
Sources
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