The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has denied screening permission to 31 films selected for the 18th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK), which will be held in Thiruvananthapuram from 25 to 30 September, according to South First.
The affected films include 18 officially selected entries, nine films in the International Non-Fiction category, three Festival Winners titles and one film from a Nepal package. A Malayalam short is also among those denied clearance.
The Kerala State Chalachitra Academy had submitted 347 films to the ministry, seeking exemption from the requirement of censor certificates for festival screenings. The ministry subsequently sought detailed synopses and screeners for 40 films. The requested materials were provided, but clearance was denied for 31.
Among the films named by South First are Parliament Street, Sanitised Republic: Caste and Contracts, Globe, Memories of a Window, Birds of War, Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk and Our Land.
The affected films include 18 officially selected entries, nine films in the International Non-Fiction category, three Festival Winners titles and one film from a Nepal package. A Malayalam short is also among those denied clearance.
Kerala’s Minister for Cinema, P. C. Vishnunadh, called on the Union government to reconsider the decision. According to South First, Vishnunadh said that films at an international festival are selected by expert committees through a comprehensive process and argued that denying permission curtails the curatorial freedom of film festivals.
Vishnunadh also said documentaries and short films provide space for diverse social realities and perspectives. He argued that an international film festival should allow space for different ideas, questions and dialogue, and that audiences should have the opportunity to watch selected films and form their own views about their content.
The 18th IDSFFK is organised by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy under Kerala’s Department of Cultural Affairs. The festival’s official 2026 rules list it as the 18th edition and set out the year’s submission and film-eligibility framework.
