After initially mulling not to hold The International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), one of the biggest events in the state’s cultural calendar, the state government has decided to organise the event, albeit in a low-key manner. 

The 23rd edition of the festival will be held in Thiruvananthapuram from December 7 to 13.

The state government had initially decided to cancel IFFK and other state-organised festivals in the wake of the flood that devastated the state, but later favoured a scaled-down version of the festival which attracts delegates from across the country.

Minister for Culture A K Balan said the decision was also based on the realisation that art could revive hope after what has been one of the state’s biggest disasters. The festival will feature a package of films curated with survival as theme.

IFFK 2018 is being organised when the state is setting out on a massive post-flood rebuilding exercise with financial assistance from across the world. Free passes will not be issued for this year’s edition, and the delegate fee has been raised from Rs 650 to Rs 2,000. The minister urged the festival delegates to see the hike in fee also as a contribution to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund.

The Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, the organiser of the festival, expects to issue 12,000 passes this year. The festival, organised on a budget of about Rs 6.5 crore in 2017, is being planned on a Rs 3.5 crore budget this year. The organisers plan to cut costs by cancelling some of the awards and foreign juries. They said the focus was on providing quality content while cutting down on the celebratory buzz on sidelines of the event.

Many film lovers and acclaimed filmmakers including Adoor Gopalakrishnan and South Korean director Kim Ki-duk had questioned the initial plan to call off the festival.