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Kerala fest: Govt cites subject matter, says 31 films await further verification
Kerala minister PC Vishnunadh on Sunday said the I&B ministry has not stated reasons for denying screening permission
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Thirty-one films to be screened at a five-day international film festival in Thiruvananthapuram beginning Friday are awaiting “further verification” from the home, defence and external affairs ministries because of their subject matter, a Union information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry official said on Monday, clarifying they have not been denied clearance.
The clarification came a day after Kerala culture minister PC Vishnunadh said the I&B ministry has not stated reasons for denying screening permission to 31 films at the 18th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK).
Films at such festivals do not require a censor certificate. They need the I&B ministry’s screening permission, as they do not have certification by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
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Vishnunadh said the Union government had asked for detailed synopses for these films, which were sent the next day. He added that they had only received a list of films granted permission.
The 31 films include documentaries on the lives of sanitation workers at Delhi’s hospitals during the Covid-19 pandemic, and on life in the besieged Palestinian Gaza Strip.
In 2025, the Union government initially withheld exemptions for 19 films at the 17th IFFK. But the state authorities announced that screenings would proceed despite the pending clearances before the Union government granted exemptions for the films in stages.
The I&B official cited above told HT that they had not received responses from the three ministries on the 31 films as of Monday morning.
In a post on X, the I&B ministry echoed the official and added that a more detailed synopsis was sought for six of the 31 films. “Depending on the subject of the films, some have been sent to various sectoral authorities for their review.”
The I&B official said there were lapses in the submission of required documents, including details about the films, adding to the processing time.
The Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, which organises IDSFFK, sought exemption from certification for 347 films, most of which have been cleared, people aware of the matter said. The remaining films will be cleared as and when the verification process is completed, they added.
Films generally require certification for public exhibition under the Cinematograph Act, 1952. Section 9 of the Act empowers the Union government to exempt films from certification, subject to conditions. I&B’s guidelines provide for such exemptions for films screened at non-commercial film festivals. Films with CBFC certification do not need exemption from the ministry.
The ministry’s guidelines say festival organisers should preferably submit applications a month in advance and at least 15 days before the event, with complete documentation.
