As many as 200 films will be screened at the 6th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala, which will commence at Thirvananthapuram on June 7.
There will be specially-curated sections focusing on issues, themes, countries and the works of filmmakers. The festival will also introduce the evolution of world documentary filmmaking. Films of Agnes Verda, Vertov, Flaherty and Sukhdev will be screened at the festival. There will also be a special screening of Noel Burch’s ‘Forgotten Space’.
Films such as ‘5 Broken Cameras’ and ‘Last Shepherd’ that won international recognition will also be screened at the festival. The presence of Mike Pande with his films on environment is another attraction.
Sixty-six films were selected for the competition from the 800 entries. There will be a national-level competition for long documentaries, short documentaries, animation and short fiction films produced in India. The Best Long Documentary (40 mins and above) will get a cash prize of ` 1 lakh and a certificate. The Best Short Documentary (under 40 mins) and Best Short Fiction (up to 69 mins) will be given `50,000 and a certificate. A cash prize of `25,000 and certificate is given to the Best Animation film and Best Music Video. There will be a competition for short fiction films for bona fide students studying within Kerala .
The five-day festival, a unique venture, is organised by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy as part of its endeavour to catalyse a vibrant documentary and short film movement. The films will be screened at Kairali, Nila and Sree theatres.