Nineteen movies including Palestinian themed and world classics have been refused censor exemption to screen at the 30th International Film Festival of Kerala 2025 (12-19 December,2025). The censor exemption for these movies has not been received by the festival, leading it to reschedule screenings.
Festival director Adoor Gopalakrishnan told ANI his displeasure over the banning of the films. He described the decision as the “sheer lack of understanding” of the cinema by the organisers, and said, “To advertise one’s ignorance like this is very bad for the government, very bad for the people. They should reconsider the ban on these films, and their decisions should not be based solely on the titles. So, the whole thing is based on a sheer lack of understanding of the medium of cinema. So, they should have some humility to learn. It looks like it is sheer ignorance, nothing else.”
“Formally, the reason given is that the censor‐exemption certificates have not been issued, so the festival cannot legally screen these uncertified films. However, because many of the blocked works engage with Palestine, state power or contentious politics, film bodies and opposition leaders in Kerala are framing this as de facto censorship and central interference rather than a routine procedural delay,: says the Kerala Kumudini.
Indian Express says, CPI(M) leader M A Baby has alleged a deliberate attempt to “sabotage” the festival and urged the cultural community to condemn the move, arguing that a state government has the right to organise a politically and aesthetically meaningful festival. Festival organisers say they are in discussions with the Union ministry, still hoping to secure clearances so at least some of the 19 films can be reinstated into the IFFK 2025 lineup.
According to reliable media sources, some of the blocked movies are:
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Battleship Potemkin (Sergei Eisenstein, USSR, 1925) – restored classic in the Classics package.
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The Hour of the Furnaces (Fernando Solanas & Octavio Getino, Argentina, 1968) – classic political documentary)
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Clash (Mohamed Diab, Egypt, 2016) – previous IFFK winner.
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Wajib (Annemarie Jacir, Palestine, 2017) – Palestinian feature.
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Palestine 36 (Annemarie Jacir, Palestine) – was the opening film.
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Beef (Spanish feature; not the US series)
According to Media One the other movies blocked are:
A Poet: Unconcealed Poetry, All That’s Left of You, Bamako, Eagles of the Republic, Heart of the Wolf, Once Upon A Time In Gaza, Red Rain, Riverstone, The Hour of The Furnace, Tunnels: Sun In The Dark, Yes, Flames, Timbuktu, Wajib, and The Great Dictator.
