THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: “I have always been fascinated by cinema. I loved writing from my school days and narrated my first script to a director a day after I passed out of Class XII. Now, I realise that my life was intertwined with cinema all these years,” said Jithin Issac Thomas, whose debut movie ‘Attention Please’ will be screened at the International Film Festival of Kerala under the ‘Malayalam Cinema Today’ category on Friday.
Interestingly, this is Jithin’s first time at the festival. The Kasaragod-based director feels that it is an honour to attend the event as Kerala State Chalachitra Academy’s guest. “The film was made for various film festivals. I was worried about its screening once the pandemic broke out,” he added.
‘Attention Please’ deals with the lives of five youngsters who are passionate about cinema. Though four of them give up their dreams and pursue other jobs, Hari (played by actor Vishnu Govindhan) continues to write scripts. Hari was ridiculed for belonging to a lower caste. “The story happens in a closed space and unfolds as Hari narrates the stories he wrote. Casteism is a worrying factor that needs attention from our society, and hence the title,” says Jithin.
Ever since he landed in the capital city, Jithin is on cloud nine as the jury members appreciated his film. “I am receiving a good response. Hearing such feedback from legendary directors is a great inspiration. I’m excited to see the movie in the theatre,” said Jithin.
“The first film I saw in IFFK was ‘Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam’. It was a brilliant movie. I’m proud that my film is selected in a category which has some remarkable films. Friday will be one of the biggest days of my life. I’m planning to attend the film’s screening in other districts too,” said Jithin. ‘Attention Please’ will be screened in Kalabhavan theatre on Friday at 1.30 pm.