Kerala film fest caught in legal tangle ahead of Dec 9 start

Dec 5, 2011 IANS

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 4 (IANS) The 16th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) was caught in a legal tangle in the Kerala High Court which dismissed the plea of the producer of film "Adimadhyantham", which was selected but later disqualified from the competition section of the event, an organiser said Sunday.

Addressing reporters, acclaimed director Priyadarshan, festival director and chairman of the Kerala State Chalachithra Academy (which conducts the festival), said that the film was disqualified because it gave a wrong declaration.

"At the moment I cannot go into anymore details because the matter is sub-judice and I am not that happy to see a debutant's film being disqualified, but then rules have to be adhered to," said Priyadarshan.

The 16th edition of the festival will be held here from Dec 9-16, and film buffs could see more than 200 films in various sections including competition, world cinema, Malayalam cinema and Indian cinema.

Film selection committee chairman M. Kunhikrishnan earlier pointed out that "Adimadhyantham" was complete in all respect and hence it was selected.

But following the media attention that this film got, filmstar-turned-Kerala Minister for Cinema K.B. Ganesh Kumar stepped in and showed the film's DVD to the media last week.

Priyadarshan also informed that two films which were sent for participating in the competition section in the 16th edition of IFFK were left out.

Malayalam film "Adamanite Makan Abu" and Philippines film "Palawan Fate" have been excluded because according to the rules of this festival, a film that has taken part in the competition section of any international festival in India cannot be included in the competition section in our festival, said Priyadarshan

He also pointed out that his film "Kanchipuram" was excluded in 2008 on this ground.

Priyadarshan pointed out that the rules of the festival that were framed by the academy had to undergo a lot of changes because the had been made a long time back.

"We will see that a general council meeting of the academy is called shortly to revamp the rules," said Priyadarshan.