THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Friday dawned with a fresh vigour for the cinephiles as the 29th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) kicked off. Tagore Theatre, the main venue, was the nodal point of all activity.
The other 14 venues where the screenings and allied events would be held also were packed with visitors.
A quick round of the main venue gave a glimpse of what the next week would look like. There were flocks of delegates from across the state, country and beyond.
Activities were brisk as early as 11am when several stalls were already on the job. Some food stalls were also up and running, while others were just being put up.
As the action slowly unfurled, delegates queued up in front of the main building to watch the Portuguese film Baby by Marcelo Caetano. The audience snaked down close to the entrance. Several had to abort their plans.
Outside, the traffic was chock-a-block around the venues. The fervour was festive, with all hints that the celebratory elements would swell in the days to come.
In the evening, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the festival at Nishagandhi Auditorium, with veteran actor Shabana Azmi as guest of honour. Later, Hong Kong filmmaker Ann Hui was presented with the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’.
The day reached a pinnacle at the open auditorium with the screening of I am Still Here (Portuguese) by Walter Salles.
The days ahead will be busy, and the city will turn into a paradise for all the cinephiles.