No role yet for LGBT persons at International Film Festival of Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram: The 22nd edition of IFFK seems to have set an example by including members of gender minorities in some of its committees and having separate lavatories for TG persons, but transgender persons feel that their voice was not given the importance that it deserves. “Inclusion of all may be a motto of the IFFK. But we don’t feel included,” says Sreekutty, manager of Oasis Cultural Society.

Sreekutty as well as trangender activists Sreemayi and Ranjini were made part of a few IFFK committees. Despite having representation in programme committee, reception committee, audience committee, they did not receive any duty assignments. Even a day before the beginning of the fest, they remained clueless about their responsibility. When DC contacted Beena Paul, artistic director, IFFK, she said that it is up to them to find out their duties. This time, of the 45 transgender delegates who applied for the fest, 16 have paid and are registered. The number is quite less, since last year, it was estimated that there were at least a 100 interested in being part of the festival.

The activists are also unhappy that there are lesser number of films which focus on LGBT issues, as compared to last year. The Fantastic Woman and The Farewell Flower are to be screened this year. Last year a section called ‘Gender Bender’ was dedicated to films related to stories focussing on sexual and gender minorities. When asked why there were not enough LGBT films, Beena Paul said, “We have different ideas for each year and this time it is entirely different from the last.”