THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The delegate registration for the 21st International Film Festival of Kerala, touted as the first transgender-friendly fest, will begin from November 5. The online registration, through the site www.iffk.in, will extend till November 25. The registration fee is Rs 500 for ordinary delegates and Rs 300 for students. Registrations after the deadline of November 25 will be charged Rs 700, even for student passes. Unlike in earlier years, student passes will be granted only after thorough verification.
“Lack of verification has led to many undeserving candidates getting IFFK passes,” said Chalachithra Academy chairman Kamal at a press conference here on Friday. So this time, students wanting a delegate pass should first submit their ID card and also give the name of the institution they are representing. “We will cross check with the institution and then provide the passes,” Kamal said. The vetting process will take three days. Kamal said 13,000 delegate passes, 1,000 more than last year, will be distributed. Like last year, Tagore Theatre will be the main venue. There will be 13 venues, again like last year.
The highlight of the festival will be special provisions for transgenders. Besides a package for third gender films, at least five IFFK venues will have separate washrooms for transgenders. For the first time ever, delegate registration forms will not only have the male and female columns but will also include a column for the third gender.
Kamal said ‘migration’ would the theme of the 21st IFFK. “We would like to dedicate the festival to the children like Alan Kurdi, the three-year-old boy from Spain, who had died while trying to flee the torments of their lands,” Kamal said. There will be a separate section for films on migration. Kamal said that over 180 films would be showcased. The distribution of delegate passes will be held on December 5.
