The 18th edition of the International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Keralam began in the state capital on Friday under an unmistakable cloud of censorship, with uncertainty hanging over 31 films that remain blocked after the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting denied them censor exemption.
The festival opened at the Kairali theatre in Thiruvananthapuram, where Minister for Cultural Affairs P.C. Vishnunadh said the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy was making every possible effort, including legal action, to secure permission for the films to be screened. The immediate effect of the dispute was visible in the festival schedule, which has already been released but now omits the 31 titles. Academy officials said the programme would be updated if permission is eventually granted.
According to sources, the Union I&B Ministry has forwarded some of the films to the Defence Ministry for approval, while others have been sent to the External Affairs Ministry, adding another layer of procedural uncertainty to a festival that has long positioned itself as a platform for serious documentary and short-form cinema. The delay has left filmmakers, organisers and audiences waiting to see whether the contested titles will be restored to the line-up.
"Our wish is that all the films that the selection committee selected for the festival be screened. They had selected a total of 347 documentaries and short films from out of 1,800 submissions. The I&B Ministry sought detailed synopsis for 40 films, out of which 31 films are now held up," Vishnunadh said at the inauguration.
The minister also addressed broader policy questions around the state's film sector, saying steps were progressing to grant industry status to Malayalam cinema. He acknowledged that the process is complicated by the absence of a precedent in other states. "One of the issues that we have been facing is that we don't have any models before us, as no other State has granted industry status to cinema. On the other hand, while trying to grant industry status to the tourism sector, we had so many models because only our State remained to make that declaration. The government has decided to take decisive steps to promote the film sector. A special programme is planned for young documentary filmmakers by bringing together academia and film societies," he said.
There was also speculation ahead of the opening that the minister would announce the long-pending chairperson of the Chalachitra Academy, but he said the name would be declared before the festival closes.
Filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan, who attended as chief guest, said the festival plays a vital role for aspiring filmmakers by creating space for the viewing and discussion of serious cinema. He noted that Kerala remains unique in having a government-run festival devoted to documentaries and short films. "Keralam is the only State to have its own government-run festival for documentaries and short films. We were keen to have such a festival as normally such films don't get a release in the cinemas nor would any of the channels show documentaries," he said.
The opening film, A Fox Under a Pink Moon, directed by Mehrdad Oskouei, was screened after the inaugural ceremony. The film focuses on the struggles of 16-year-old Afghan artist Soraya, who has spent five years trying to escape Iran for Austria, setting an emotionally charged tone for a festival that has built its reputation on socially engaged and often politically resonant work.
The second day of the festival, Saturday, will see the competition section begin. The Competition Short Documentary category includes Syed Ahmad Rufai's Anhad: A Way of Looking, Malavika V.N.'s At Reel's End (Viraamam), Debalina Majumder's Friends of Jilipibala, Rahul Sood's Boulevard - The Royal Route, and Sraiyanti's Auto Queens.
The Competition Short Fiction category will open with Shashank Sahith Nammikanti's Everything is Connected, Manguirish J. Bandodkar's Ancessao, Christopher Joseph's Maayan, Kiran Narayan Dhamale's Aata Tu Motha Jhalas, and Darwin Annakumar's Maram Marankothi. The Competition Long Documentaries section is also set to present a slate of films, though the full list was not included in the source material.
For now, the festival is proceeding with celebration and uncertainty side by side: celebration of documentary and short film culture, and uncertainty over whether a significant portion of the programme will survive the censorship dispute. The outcome will likely determine not only what audiences see this week, but also how the state's film institutions navigate the increasingly fraught relationship between artistic selection and central approval.