The 30th International Film Festival of Kerala opened Friday in Thiruvananthapuram, India, with a politically charged and internationally focused ceremony lead by Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larrain, the ambassadors of Palestine and Germany, and Canadian director Kelly Fyffe-Marshall, who received this year’s Spirit of Cinema Award.
Kerala’s Minister for Culture Saji Cherian formally inaugurated the edition, which marked the festival’s three-decade legacy with film launches, book releases and tributes.
Festival executive director C.Ajoy welcomed the guests by tracing IFFK’s journey from its beginnings to what he called “the strongest cultural edifice of Kerala.” He acknowledged the many “unknown names” who had shaped the festival and reaffirmed Kerala’s solidarity with global struggles, including Palestine.
Delivering the inaugural address,Minister Saji Cherian emphasized the festival’s scale and its social purpose,noting the participation of 82 countries and more than 200 films. He underscored cinema’s role in resisting oppressive tendencies and referenced a much-loved Malayalam actor – a sexual assault survivor – as a symbol of that spirit, positioning her as an emblem of courage. Cherian framed IFFK’s identity as one rooted in solidarity and artistic freedom,calling it “the most important promotion for the film ecosystem of Kerala.”
Larraín, attending IFFK for the first time, praised the selection and the audience. “I’ve never been to india before. I’m very pleased. I’m very impressed seeing all of you lovely people here,” he said. After reviewing the festival catalog, he singled out the region’s defining openness: “the curiosity that you have for different cultures around the world.” He urged the festival to “stay curious… because cinema is probably the only way to look at the past and the present and eventually, the future.”
German Ambassador Philipp Ackerman commended the festival’s stature and Kerala’s film culture. Calling IFFK “one of the great festivals now,” he highlighted the presence of 25 German productions or co-productions in the program this year, including Fatih Akin’s.
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