Overview
- Screenings at the International Film Festival of Kerala were halted for 19 titles after the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry refused the festival exemptions required for non-certified films.
- The blocked list includes Palestine-focused works and classics such as Battleship Potemkin, as well as Santosh, Timbuktu, Bamako, and the Spanish film Beef.
- Organisers report that some of the affected films had previously been cleared at the International Film Festival of India in Goa, underscoring inconsistent approvals across events.
- The withdrawals disrupted the schedule over the past two days, with cancellations announced and delegates left waiting for a revised lineup.
- Festival officials say high-level discussions with the ministry are underway, as political leaders and filmmakers publicly criticized the move.