The Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry has denied the 2025 International Film Festival of Kerala permission to screen 19 films, said Marian Alexander Baby, the general secretary of the state’s ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist). The list includes films about Palestine.

The event in Thiruvananthapuram began on December 12 and will conclude on December 19.

The films about Palestine that have been denied permission are Palestine 36, Yes, Once Upon a Time in Gaza and All That’s Left of You. The titles had already had an initial screening at the festival.

Palestine 36, an Arabic and English language movie, was the inaugural film of the event.

On December 12, at the inauguration ceremony, Kerala’s Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cherian had spoken about the state’s support for the Palestinian cause. Palestinian Ambassador to India Abdallah M Abu Shawesh was a guest at the event.

At the inauguration, while paying tribute to director Shaji N Karun, who was associated with the festival until his death in April 2025, Cherian also said that the festival was a platform that “resists fascism and autocracy while celebrating freedom of speech and creative expression”.

The film festival is organised by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, which reports to the state’s cultural affairs department. The annual event is attended by thousands of delegates.

The organisers submit the titles to the...

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