T’puram: Cultural minister P C Vishnunadh said that efforts are under way to obtain screening permission for every film selected for 18th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Keralam (IDSFFK).Speaking after inaugurating the distribution of delegate kits for the festival, which begins in the city on Friday, Vishnunadh said Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had indicated that some films awaiting clearance needed to be reviewed once again.Out of nearly 1,800 submitted films, 347 were chosen after an extensive selection process and sent for screening approval. He inaugurated delegate kits by giving them to actors Shyam Mohan and Parvathi R.In addition to many films, IDSFFK will pay homage to legendary visual artists. Five remarkable films will be screened in the homage category to honour the memories of Raghu Rai, S Krishnaswamy, Raja Sen, Tony Gatlif and Ken Jacobs.‘Raghu Rai: An Unframed Portrait‘, a biopic directed by Mumbai-based filmmaker and photographer Avani Rai, will be screened at the festival. The film traces Rai’s coverage of historic events and reflects on memory, legacy and the bond between generations. Rai is widely regarded as a pioneer of modern Indian photojournalism.‘Through a Different Lens’ is an insightful exploration into the early South Indian and Hindi cinema during the British Raj by S Krishnaswamy, a pioneering Indian documentary filmmaker who made more than 900 films.IDSFFK will also screen a biographical documentary by three-time National Award-winning director Raja Sen. The festival will feature ‘The Outraged‘, a work by legendary French-Algerian-Romani filmmaker Tony Gatlif, widely regarded as a chronicler of Roma culture. The film examines the harrowing experiences of undocumented immigrants.Also on the line-up is ‘Let There Be Whistleblowers‘, a documentary by American avant-garde cinema pioneer Ken Jacobs. The film is a visual composition of a train racing through a tunnel and into a station, creating a hypnotic, ritual-like atmosphere through surreal images and ambiguous ceremonies.
