The Kerala International Film Festival (IFFK) 2025, being held in Thiruvananthapuram from December 12 to 19, will feature a set of internationally acclaimed films—including Battleship Potemkin, Bamako, The Hour of the Furnace, Wajib, Once Upon a Time in Gaza and several Palestinian titles—amid a controversy over screening permissions denied by the Centre.

The Kerala government has announced that it will go ahead with the screening of all films that were denied permission by the Central government, alleging that the delay and denial were politically motivated. Disregarding the Centre’s refusal to grant screening permission in Thiruvananthapuram, the state has directed that the films be screened as part of the festival.

Minister for Cultural Affairs Saji Cherian claimed that there was no procedural lapse in submitting applications and officially instructed the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy to ensure that all 19 films in question are screened at KIFF. Many of the films include Palestinian works, titles earlier screened at the Goa International Film Festival, and films already available on OTT platforms. The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had denied the mandatory exemption certificates required for their screening.

Films granted screening permission

The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has now granted permission for the screening of the following films:

  • Beef
  • Heart of the Wolf
  • Bamako
  • Battleship Potemkin
  • Red Rain
  • Riverstone
  • The Hour of the Furnace
  • Tunnels: Sun in the Dark
  • Timbuktu

Films awaiting screening permission

The following films are still awaiting clearance from the Centre:

  • A Poet: Unconcealed
  • All That’s Left of You
  • Clash
  • Eagles of the Republic
  • Once Upon a Time in Gaza
  • Palestine 36
  • Yes
  • Flames
  • Wajib

Legal implications and official position

Under the Cinematograph Act, screening films without certification from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) can lead to imprisonment of up to three years for organisers. The law also allows for heavy fines, confiscation of film prints and empowers the police to make arrests without a warrant.

Among the films initially denied permission was the classic Battleship Potemkin, a nearly century-old film that has been screened at numerous venues worldwide. Central government sources said the Ministry of External Affairs would complete its review by Wednesday and take a final decision on the remaining films.

Meanwhile, the Centre has granted screening permission to four foreign films, including Palestinian titles, even as debate continues over censorship, artistic freedom and the Centre–state standoff surrounding IFFK 2025.