Pablo Larraín, Palestine and Germany Set the Tone at Kerala Film Festival’s Politically Charged Opening Night

Key Highlights

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• Ajoy welcomed the guests by tracing IFFK’s journey from its beginnings to what he called “the strongest cultural edifice of Kerala.” He acknowledged the many “unknown names” who had shaped the festival and reaffirmed Kerala’s solidarity with global struggles, including Palestine.
• Popular on Variety Delivering the inaugural address, Minister Saji Cherian emphasized the festival’s scale and its social purpose, noting the participation of 82 countries and more than 200 films.
• He underscored cinema’s role in resisting oppressive tendencies and referenced a much-loved Malayalam actor – a sexual assault survivor – as a symbol of that spirit, and positioning her as an emblem of courage.
• Cherian framed IFFK’s identity as one rooted in solidarity and artistic freedom, calling it “the most important promotion for the film” ecosystem of Kerala.