Bidding adieu to IFFK 2021, a uniquely decentralized film festival

For ardent moviegoers, attending film festivals is like making a pilgrimage. Hurrying from one theatre to the next, they might even skip their meals in order to watch a much-awaited movie on the big screen. What makes these spaces beautiful is the collective enthusiasm and love for cinema that resonates in the venue. Unlike other ordinary film viewing experiences, one will never hear a phone ringing or the crackling of a biscuit or chips packet being torn savagely during a movie. At the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) too, cinema is revered as a religion and the filmgoers are absolute devotees. 

This year, like most years, IFFK 21 witnessed immense participation from the youth. This was considered, unanimously, a symbol of the enduring appeal and love that films elicit. Sreeparvathy, a student delegate and a student of IIT Madras who was attending the festival at Palakkad, said, “I have been attending the International Film Festival of Kerala for the last three years and every time it has been the best time of the year. Particularly, IFFK 2021 was extremely special as we all got the opportunity to watch some of the best-made films across the globe amidst the pandemic. The festival paints a mood of its own with the open forums, exhibitions and interactions which we always cherish as cinephiles.”

It is well known that the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted even the most well-planned and organized events. Yet amid all the physical and logistical challenges, Kerala State Chalachithra Academy organized the twenty-fifth IFFK. This time the annual event, which is usually held in the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram, had the added lustre of being organized in four different locations. This is not the first time that IFFK has been conducted during tough times. The festival was conducted amid the misery of Okhi cyclone and two massive floods. This time, in light of the situation created by the pandemic, the festival displayed full adherence to Covid protocols. Only those who were Covid negative were given an entry pass. 

In the words of Arun, a delegate at the festival this year, “IFFK has always been a paradise for cinema lovers. I have always been preacher of a travelling IFFK and Covid has been a blessing in disguise. As usual, this year has been fantastic and a beautiful experience for me.”

The final leg of the festival happened in Palakkad from 1-5 March where 80 films were screened across five theatres situated in the heart of the city. The place bustled with the energy and enthusiasm that only the medium of cinema can generate. There were groups of people singing folk and rock tunes and intense debates about movies just watched and deep discussions about cinema in general. This time, Jayaraj, Sibi Malayail, Lal Jose, Vipin Atlee, Siju Wilson and Madhu Neelakantan, were amongst the film personalities seen interacting with the delegates at the IFFK Palakkad venue.

Lijo Jose Pellissery’s Churuli (2020) won the audience poll award and a special mention by the jury. The KR Mohanan Award for Best Debut Director from India instituted by Federation of Film Societies of India (FFSI) was bagged by Akshay Indikar for Chronicle of Space. The film also bagged Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) Award for the Best Asian Film in Competition. The FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics) Awards for Film in International Competition and Award for best Malayalam Film went to Hilal Baydarov’s In Between Dying and Ratheesh Balakrishnan Poduval’s Android Kunjappan Version 5.25 respectively. The signature award, the Rajatha Chakoram for Best Debut Director, went to Alejandro Telemaco Tarraf for the film Piedra Sola and the one for the Best Director was bagged by Bahman Tavoosi for his The Name of the Flowers. This is not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection by Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese won the Suvarna Chakoram for Best Film.  

As IFFK 21 calls it a wrap, the organizers are already gearing up for the next instalment. This time, every effort is being made to conduct the festival during its usual time, early December. Though certain details like the way it is going to be conducted or the protocols to be followed are vague, one thing is for sure — if IFFK is to happen, there will be huge participation, which reminds us of the Bertolt Brecht quote, “In the dark times will there also be singing? Yes, there will also be singing. About the dark times.”