The 26th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), which was to take place in the second week of December, will be held between 4 and 11 February next year.
The Kerala State Chalachitra Academy has taken the decision to ensure that the IFFK doesn’t clash with the 13th edition of the International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK), which is scheduled to be held from December 9 to 14. Both festivals will be inaugurated by Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
The IFFK will be held in 10 to 12 theatres in Thiruvananthapuram while films being showcased at the IDSFFK will be screened at the Aries Plex SL theatre complex.
Last year’s edition of the IFFK was held in four phases and in four locations across the state in order to reduce crowding in the capital. The move was met with criticism from the public on social media and the political class accused the government of trying to move the festival out of the city. However, the officials said that this arrangement was made only because of the COVID-19 pandemic and that Thiruvananthapuram would be the permanent venue for the festival.
The IDSFFK is generally held in the middle of the year but it couldn’t take place in 2020 because of the COVID-19 outbreak. It was postponed quite a few times this year because of the cinema halls being shut in the state due to the pandemic.