Every December and every June, movie theatres in Thiruvananthapuram change character, turn into crowds of art house lovers, pocketing coloured schedules and festival diaries. Film festival time — the big one in December and the more recent shorter version in June. Only, both these fests don’t really see children. You’ve got to be 18 plus to apply. So children stay away, perhaps wondering what goes on in there that drives the whole city crazy. Not for long. For the past few days now, walls and fences of the capital city have been carrying announcements of a new event – ICFFK, to be held this week from May 14 to 20. IFFK, the big December festival, with a C in between for Children – International Children’s Film Festival of Kerala.
There have been children’s film festivals before, in small corners, but not on such a large scale, says Kerala Chalachitra Academy vice chairperson Bina Paul. The academy is joining Kerala State Council for Child Welfare in organising the fest, along with Kerala State Film Development Corporation [KSFDC] and Balasahithya Institute. “They (KSCCW) took the initiative, and we have helped with the programming. They have got all the schools mobilised and all. We have given the films, and also put out a call for films from within the state. Lots of schools are making films too. There was a selection committee,” Bina Paul says.
There are 140 films including features, short films and documentaries to be screened at Tagore theatre, Kairali, Nila, Sree and Kalabhavan theatres. There will be like the IFFK, open forums and workshops for children, and performances by youth festival winners and children from tribal areas.
The directors in focus are Amole Gupte, Majid Majidi, Sivan, Santosh Sivan and Sangeeth Sivan. Amole is known for his work for the film Taare Zameen Par, for which he was screenwriter and creative director. His films like Stanley Ka Dabba, Hawa Hawai, and Sniff!!! will be part of the fest. Majid Majidi’s most known films Children of Heaven and The Color of Paradise will be screened. Johny, Halo, Malli, Abhayam and Kesu done by the Sivan family will also be featured.
Monica Wahi, who is one of the curators of the International Children’s Film Festival of India, has suggested films from across the world, Bina Paul says. “There is an international section, there are classics like Bicycle Thieves that children could enjoy, and there are contemporary films from all over the world. There are also films from within Kerala.”
She adds, “It is summer holidays, and children never get to see content other than commercial cinema or TV content. It is really important that they also get exposure to this kind of cinema.”
