27th Kolkata International Film Festival to have screenings with 50% occupancy, says chairperson Raj Chakraborty

With the rise of COVID-19 cases in the state, the West Bengal government on Monday put in place certain restrictions to contain the spread of the virus. Along with imposing a night curfew, the government has allowed cinema halls, malls and eateries to function at 50% capacity only till 10 pm.

In light of this, the 27th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF), which is slated to be held from 7 to 14 January, will also host physical screenings with 50% occupancy.

The Rapist, Deep6, Nazarband, Manikbabur Megh to be screened at 27th Kolkata International Film Festival

According to a report by The Times of India, an English daily, KIFF chairperson Raj Chakraborty said, “We will abide by the government notification. KIFF will be held maintaining all health protocols. There will be 50% occupancy for all screenings. That is exactly what was done in 2021 when the KIFF’s 26th physical edition was held successfully.”

The inauguration ceremony, which was supposed to be held in Netaji Indoor Stadium, following the tradition of the pre-pandemic era, will be now hosted virtually from Nabanna Sabhaghar.

Chakraborty stated, "The pandemic seemed under control, so we decided to stage the inaugural ceremony at Netaji Indoor Stadium on a grand scale. But due to the Omicron scare, we have to do it on a small scale at Nabanna."