The organisers of the 30th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) are awaiting official censor exemptions to screen around 19 films, including titles linked to the Palestine conflict, Sergei Eisenstein’s century-old classic Battleship Potemkin, and a Spanish film titled Beef, sources said on Monday.
Discussions are currently underway with the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to secure permission for the screenings at IFFK 2025, which is being held from December 12 to 19. Festival authorities had submitted requests for exemptions well in advance, and talks are reportedly taking place at the highest levels to resolve the issue.
In an official update issued by the festival, organisers confirmed that the screening of Battleship Potemkin, which was scheduled at Sree Theatre on December 15 at 6.30 pm, has been cancelled for now. A revised screening schedule is expected to be announced once clarity is obtained from the Centre.
Directed by Sergei Eisenstein in 1925, Battleship Potemkin is widely regarded as one of the most influential films in cinema history. The silent classic dramatises the 1905 mutiny aboard the Russian battleship Potemkin, where sailors rebel against brutal officers and inhumane conditions, transforming their uprising into a powerful symbol of collective resistance. Included in the Restored Classics section of IFFK to mark its 100th year, the film was ranked 54th in the Sight and Sound critics’ poll of the greatest films of all time in 2022.
Another film whose screening has been cancelled is All That’s Left of You, a deeply personal Palestinian narrative. The film opens in 1988 during the height of the First Intifada, following Noor, a young boy in the occupied West Bank who joins a protest and is killed, an incident that forms the emotional core of the story. The narrative later shifts to 2021, where his mother Hanan recounts the family’s history across three generations, blending personal loss with the broader Palestinian experience through an intimate, direct-to-camera narration.
All That’s Left of You had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2025, and was later selected as Jordan’s official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 98th Academy Awards.
Also awaiting clearance is Beef, a Spanish film that has no connection to its provocative title. The film follows Lati, a young woman from the outskirts of Barcelona who turns to freestyle rap as a means of confronting grief, social prejudice, and gender barriers after the death of her father.
Sources said the pending approvals have affected several screenings involving politically sensitive themes, particularly those linked to contemporary conflicts. Festival organisers remain hopeful that exemptions will be granted soon, allowing the films to be screened as planned.
The 30th edition of IFFK was inaugurated on December 12 by state culture minister Saji Cherian, at a ceremony attended by filmmakers, delegates and film personalities from across the world. Despite the uncertainty around select screenings, the festival continues to draw strong participation and audience interest.
