Fresh talent galore at 25th IFFK; 10 new Malayalam filmmakers to exhibit works

Thiruvananthapuram: The 25th edition of the International Film festival of Kerala (IFFK) is all geared up to witness new filmmakers making their mark with their intriguing movies. As many as 10 new filmmakers from Malayalam alone will be exhibiting their works at this year’s festival. Besides, several newcomers from Tamil, Hindi and a variety of foreign languages are also ready to showcase their talent. 

‘Android Kunjappan Version 5.25' by Ratheesh Balakrishnan Pothuval, who bagged the Best Debut Director Award at the Kerala State Film Awards this year is a major highlight at this years festival. Ad filmmaker Kavya Prakash, the daughter of veteran director V.K Prakash, is also making her mark as a feature film director with her film 'Vaank'. Actor-turned-director Muhammad Mustafa's, with his movie 'Kappela (Chapel)' and Jithin Issac Thomas, with his  'Attention Please' will be the among the Malayalam debut directors arriving at the festival. 

'Kuthiraval' (Horse Tail), directed by Manoj Jackson and Shyam Sunder, will be screened as part of the Indian Cinema Now category. 'Pig' directed by Thamizh has also been included in the same category. 'Kosa' a tale that narrates the life of a backward community facing human rights violations, is the first film of Mohit Priyadarshi, and it has been included in the International Competition category. The presence of fresh, young talent will be a major boost to the festival this time around.

18 Films on Day One of festival

A total of 18 films, including four films in the International Competition category, will be screened on the first day of the 25th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK). ‘The Names of The flowers’, directed by Bahman Tavoosi will be the first film to be screened from competition films.

French new wave pioneer Jean Luc Godard’s debut feature and most acclaimed work “Breathless” will be screened in ‘Forever Young, Godard’ category, on the first day. Oasiseu, a seminal work of the Korean new wave director, Lee Chang Dong will be screened under the ‘Cinema as Poetry: Lee Chang-Dong’ retrospective. The film bagged The Silver Lion at the Venice International Film Festival for Best Director.  

Lesotho's entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards 'This Is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection' directed by Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese, will be screened as part of the International category. ‘There Is No Evil’, ‘The Names of The Flowers’, ‘In between dying’ are some of the other films to be screened under the category on the same day. 

‘February’, a Bulgarian film anchored in harsh reality of existentialism will be screened under the World Cinema category. ‘Summer of 85’, ‘Laila in Haif’, ‘Night of the Kings’, ‘Yellow Cat’, are the other films which will be screened on the day under the same category.

‘Paapam cheyyathavar kalleriyatte’ and ‘Thinkalazhcha nishchayam’ in the Malayalam Cinema Now category, and ‘Pinki Elli’ in the Indian Cinema Today category will also be screened on Day One.