The International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), which is usually organized in December, will now be held over February and March this year, law and cultural affairs minister A K Balan said on Friday. He said the decision was taken after it was felt that a cultural festival of such international repute should not be cancelled.
Taking into consideration the Covid-19 situation, Thiruvananthapuram will share the festival, which brings together nearly 14,000 delegates every year, with three other locations across the state — Ernakulam, Palakkad and Thalassery. Only 200 people will be permitted to enter a theatre for screening. All those who have registered must carry a Covid negative certificate. The inauguration ceremony will be conducted in Thiruvananthapuram on February 10, 2021, while the closing ceremony will take place at Palakkad. The festival is scheduled to conduct from February 10 to 14 in Thiruvananthapuram, February 17 to 21 in Kochi, February 23 to 27 in Thalassery and March 1 to 5 in Palakkad. The competition will feature international cinema, world cinema, Malayalam cinema and Indian cinema. The 25th edition of the IFFK was scheduled to conduct in December 2020, however, it was postponed considering the COVID-19 situation of the state.
