The Indian government has banned the screening of 19 films at IFFK 2025. These include Palestine-themed films such as Palestine 36, Once Upon a Time in Gaza and All That’s Left You. Classic films such as Battleship Potemkin were also affected.
The Government of India has decided to ban the screening of 19 films simultaneously. He refused to allow these films to be shown. We are talking about the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) 2025, which has started on December 12 and will continue till December 19. Due to this decision of the government, not only the film lovers are protesting against it, but the organizers of the festival are also criticizing them. It is noteworthy that the organizer of this film festival is Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, in which thousands of delegates from all over the world participate every year.
Which are the 19 films which are banned?
Among the 19 films which the Government of India has not given permission to be shown at the Kerala International Film Festival, most of them are those which are made on the theme of Palestine. These include ‘Palestine 36’, ‘Yash’, ‘Once Upon a Time in Gaza’ and ‘All That’s Left You’. The story of Palestine has been shown somewhere in all these. It is being told that ‘Palestine 36’ was selected as the first film of the festival and its screening has also been done. When the film was shown on the inaugural day of the festival, Palestinian Ambassador to India Abdullah M Abu Shovesh was present as the guest. During this time, Kerala’s Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cherian had expressed his support on Palestinian issues.
The Spanish film ‘Beef’ has also not been allowed to be screened. Apart from this, ‘A Poet: Unconcealed Poetry’, ‘Bamako’, ‘Battleship Potemkin’, ‘Clash’, ‘Eagles of the Republic’, ‘Heart of the Wolf’, ‘Red Rain’, ‘Riverstone, The Hour of the Furnaces’, ‘Tunnel: Sun in the Dark’, ‘Flames’, ‘Timbuktu’, ‘Wajib’ and ‘Santosh’. Those films are included which the government has not allowed to be shown in the film festival.
Why does the government refuse to screen films?
Before any film festival, the organizers have to send in advance the list of the movies they want to show to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of the Government of India. The ministry has the authority to grant or deny permission to these films. Organizers of the International Film Festival of Kerala say that the government did not allow the screening of the films, but no concrete reason behind this has been given to them.