THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: For the movie buffs, the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) held every year in December in the capital city is more than just a cultural event, it is an emotion. Last year, many film lovers had to miss the fiesta due to pandemic-related restrictions. However, this year, hundreds of them were seen thronging various venues for the first show of the 26th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala which kicked off on Friday.
Film lovers were spotted carrying festival bags and booklets and were engaged in discussions revolving around films with other delegates. “Due to personal and professional responsibilities, I couldn’t be part of the event in previous years. However, this year, I decided to attend.The festival brochure features a list of nationally and internationally-acclaimed movies. I am excited to watch all of them in the coming days,” said Sudheesh S, a teacher, as he emerged from Sree Theatre after watching ‘Whether the Weather is Fine’ screened under the World Cinema category. He was accompanied by his friends Zehra Sabuji and Itthu Subash who were also attending IFFK for the first time.
French nationals Eva Martin and Juliet were thrilled to be part of the festival. While Eva has attended IFFK before, it was Juliet’s first time. “It feels great to see such a crowd after a long time,” said Juliet.
Students from other districts also entered the venues in large numbers. While some were busy making last-minute registrations, others were seen looking into the festival booklet and selecting films to watch.
“We reached the city yesterday and will be present till the end of the festival. We made a sudden plan and got here after our teachers told us about it,” said Naseeha P, a first-year Mass Communication and Journalism student at MAMO College, Mukkom.
Adding colours to the fest
Embracing the spirit of the 26th International Film Festival of Kerala, a group of youngsters filled a big canvas placed at Tagore Theatre premises with colours. Around 15 final year students of Bachelor of Fine Arts and Sculpture and Applied Arts were part of the project. The youngsters, through their art, narrated a usual view of IFFK venues.
“Post pandemic, we have all started going around with masks on our faces. At IFFK too, this is the new normal. We wanted to turn this into a frame at the canvas provided to us by the organisers,” says one of the artists, Jithin Krishna. Neshva P P, final year BFA in applied arts from Calicut, says the painting project helped her get some exposure post the pandemic.