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IFFK condemns Film Censorship

IFFK strongly condemns Film Censorship

The Open Forum held on the fifth day of the 30th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), themed “Freedom of Film Festivals,” witnessed intense discussions and strong criticism of censorship following the Central Board of Film Certification’s decision to deny screening permission to 19 films. Participants at the forum expressed unanimous opposition to the move, describing it as a serious threat to artistic freedom.

Renowned filmmaker T. V. Chandran emphasized that cinema is a vital medium of free expression. “No one should be afraid to think or dream,” he said, adding that preventing the screening of a film such as Battleship Potemkin was equivalent to suppressing cinema as a whole. While acknowledging the reassurances given by the Chief Minister and the Minister for Culture, Chandran stressed the need for continued protest to prevent any future attempts to undermine the festival.

Director and former Kerala State Chalachitra Academy chairman Kamal noted that since its inception, IFFK has consistently upheld a policy of amplifying marginalized voices. He highlighted the festival’s long-standing effort to showcase films from Third World, Afro-Asian, and Latin American regions, and expressed concern over censorship decisions that undermine this vision. Kamal also criticized the rejection of films based on arbitrary grounds, including objections to titles such as Beef, and the banning of internationally acclaimed works like Battleship Potemkin, which is part of academic curricula.

Renowned Filmmaker T. K. Rajeev Kumar questioned the practice of requiring even synopses of films already cleared by local censor boards in Kerala to be forwarded to Mumbai for approval. Premendra Majumdar alleged that approvals are being deliberately delayed, further hampering the screening process.

Director Manoj Kana observed that fear of financial loss has led many in the industry to remain silent on threats to freedom of expression. Actor Alencier, speaking pointedly, remarked that he had arrived with a coffin symbolic of the danger posed to constitutional values, but thanked the state government for permitting the screening of his film. Actor Santosh Keezhattur concluded by reiterating that cinema fundamentally represents the creative freedom of its maker.