Who's afraid of women filmmakers, asks Geetha J after Kerala State Film Awards snub Run Kalyani

Filmmaker Geetha J on Tuesday deplored the fact that her debut feature film Run Kalyani was found unworthy of any laurels at the Kerala State Film Awards, the winnerd of which were announced on Tuesday.

Run Kalyani premiered at the Kolkata International Film Festival in 2019, where it won the Special Jury Award. It was screened in competition at the Bangalore International Film Festival 2019 and the International Film Festival of Thrissur, where it won the FIPRESCI-India Award. The film's lead actress, Garggi Ananthan, won the Best Actress Award at the New York Indian Film Festival 2020, where the film had its US premiere. The film has also been listed in the Top 20 Indian films of 2019 voted by FIPRESCI-India. 

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However, Run Kalyani was not selected for the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), which is organised by the Chalachitra Academy. 

Geetha J said in a statement she had received a few calls after the State Film Awards' winners were announced appreciating the film while others asked her she had submitted Run Kalyani for the awards. "Of course, I did apply. But Run Kalyani was not found worthy of any award. Am I surprised? No. As it is a constant battle for a woman filmmaker. I am happy for all the winners, especially as some of them are aligned with the Movement for Independent Cinema. But I continue to make my point that it is very difficult for women to make films especially about women and we struggle the most for recognition. Personally, I faced the unfortunate situation of the International Film Festival of Kerala not selecting Run Kalyani for Malayalam Cinema Today section of the Festival. And now, this! Who's afraid of women filmmakers?” the statement read.

Run Kalyani is continuing its festival run and will be screened next at the International Film Festival of Cincinnati (16-30 October), Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (23-30 October) and the South Asian Film Festival of Montreal (19-29 November).