THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Showcasing various cinematic traditions across the globe and offering a bouquet of films to satiate the varied tastes of cine buffs, the 24th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) got off to a colourful start after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the event at Nishagandhi Auditorium here on Friday.
Speaking after inaugurating the event, Pinarayi said the plurality of languages was facing a serious threat in India. The country has become a research lab for changing the nature of different ethnic societies into the mould of ‘one language one state’. Stating filmmaking and film festivals as forms of resistance against a global rise in fascist and oppressive ideologies, he said filmmaking has a history of being a weapon against authoritarian regimes that stifled diversity and freedom of expression.
It was a medium capable of moving the masses. The chief minister also praised the efforts of filmmakers from Third-World countries who used their art to raise their voice against corrupt and repressive governments.
He hoped that the film festival would provide a stage for such efforts to be recognised on an international level. Where art is repressed, freedom cannot flourish, he said.
Cultural Minister AK Balan presided over the event with Minister Kadakampally Surendran as chief guest. Veteran actress Sarada was honoured at the ceremony.