Kerala State Chalachitra Academy Department of Cultural Affairs Government of Kerala Recognised by Fédération Internationale des Associations de Producteurs de Films International Federation of Film Producers Associations THE FESTIVAL TEAM Chairman & Festival Director, IFFK: Kamal Vice-Chairperson & Artistic Director, IFFK: Bina Paul Secretary & Executive Director, IFFK: Mahesh Panju Treasurer: Y Muhammad Rijam Deputy Director (Festival): H Shaji Deputy Director (Programmes): N P Sajeesh Programme Manager (Finance): Sajith C C Programme Manager (Programmes): Vimal Kumar V P Manager (Technical): Gopeekrishna S Print Unit Coordinator: P S Siva Kumar State Coordinator, Touring Talkies: Rijoy K J Festival Programme Assistants: Tony Xavier, Saiyed Farooq Festival Assistants: Madhavi Madhupal, Sree Vidya J Festival Cell: K Velayudhan Nair,Mary Ninan, K Venukuttan Nair, K Ravikumar, P Padmakumar, K Harikumar, Vijayamohan B, J Sukumaran, D Jayakumari, Jaya L, G Sasikala, John Kurian, Lizy M, Nishanth ST, Sandhya B, Arun R, Abhilash N S, Naveen L Johnson, Shamlal S, Abdulla, Shyam, Manu Madhavan, Vishnu Prashanth Guest Relations and Hospitality Trivi Art Concerns Bandhu Prasad-Aleyamma, Arjun A, Shelly J Morais, Rameez Mohammed, Jithin Mohan AS, Vishnu VI Media Relations Officer: B T Anilkumar Screening Schedule: Geethanjali Harikumar Technical Screening & KDM Management: Prasad Khatu Website Support: Satheesh S, Shajith R B, Girish KumarVS (C-DIT) Software Support: C-DIT Design Concept: B Priyaranjanlal Signature Film: Arun Sreepadam FESTIVAL BOOK Chief Editor: Mahesh Panju, Secretary, KSCA Executive Editor: Jithin KC Editorial Team: Dr. Sangeetha C, Nisam Asaf, Nidhin Nath, Anees Hassan, Aiswaria N, Goutham, Adila Kabeer, Nikhil R, Abhijith S, Goutham K, Anagha, Arundhathi, Arya Babu, Meenakshi J, Sayanth Page Design & Layout: Joby Ravindran Word Processing & Page Setting: Sivaprasad B Academy is grateful to various film journals, festival publications, Film Festival websites from which we have borrowed materials to put together this book. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily that of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy or the Editors. Last minute changes to the programme have not been included in this book. Published by: Kerala State Chalachitra Academy Sasthamangalam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India - 695 010 Tel: +91-471-2310323, 2312214 Fax: +91-471-2313022 www.iffk.in Processed and printed at: Akshara Offset, Thiruvananthapuram Dear Delegates, Welcome to the 23rd International Film Festival of Kerala. Over the week there is an array of films lined up for you to watch and savour. IFFK is renowned for its audience and it is with great pleasure that we greet you all. Theatres Nishagandhi, Tagore, Kalabhavan, Kairali, Sree, Nila, Dhanya, Remya, New Theatre: Screen 1, Screen 2 & Screen 3, Sree Padmanabha, Kripa 1 Online Reservation • For the convenience of delegates, reservation system will be in place. The booking is free. For reservation, please follow the instructions below: • Tickets for shows in all theatres except Nishagandhi & Aries Plex can be reserved/booked online at www.iffk.in • Help desk will be provided in all venues and delegates are requested to kindly make use of it. • Reservation will remain open from 09:00 am to 11:00 pm on the previous day of the show. No reservation can be made on the same day of the show. • A reservation chart will be available at the venue, and if there are any vacant seats these will be released for those in the waiting queue before the show begins. • Only three reservations per card per day can be made. • Delegates need to show their cards at the ticket counters at the theatre entrance for verification. • All reservation will stand cancelled ten minutes before the commencement of the show. • Cancellation is not encouraged. • No change of reservation is available. • Coupons will be distributed one hour before every show at separate counters in all venues for the UNRESERVED seats. It will be given on a first come first serve basis. No further entry will be permitted once the coupons run out for each show. General Instructions • Please switch off your mobile phones before any screening. • Photography and videography is strictly prohibited inside the screening halls. Anybody indulging in such activity is liable to have his delegate card confiscated. • Please respect the security measures and report any unclaimed packages etc. • Do not carry eatables into the auditorium. • All screenings will allow only as many delegates as the number of seats in the screening hall. This means, delegates will not be allowed to attend screenings standing, or sitting elsewhere within the hall. We do hope you enjoy the festival. MESSAGE The International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), the largest secular event of Kerala, is being held this year amidst an unprecedented natural calamity that hit the State. The entire energy and resources of the State Government is focussed on healing the scars of the monsoon disaster. However, the scale and severity of the disaster, triggered collective action by the society which instantly invited worldwide attention for its unique show of unity. In a way, Keralites treated this as an opportunity to uphold the renaissance tradition of the State. The government feels that this unity provides a unique opportunity in rebuilding a new Kerala addressing environmental issues and the problems of the marginalised. The IFFK offers a window to the world around us. It invites us to learn to live with different ideas and people. It is the right time to listen to the tales of inclusivity and pluralism. As a society we are witnessing efforts to take us back to the dark ages. The concepts of equality and freedom are facing threats like never before. We have to be vigilant to guard and uphold our Constitutional rights. In these trying times, the IFFK can work like a cultural bulwark against rising tides of hate mongering. By promoting dialogue and discussion, the film festival can turn into a forum of exchange of different ideas all leading to cultural and political enlightenment. I hope the IFFK will uphold the famed tradition of Kerala society where values of collective action and listening to the voices of the other are part of our everyday lives. I wish all the success to the delegates and filmmakers who have gathered here to celebrate the idea of Cinema. My best wishes to the 23rd International Film Festival of Kerala. Pinarayi Vijayan Hon'ble Chief Minister of Kerala Chief Patron, IFFK MESSAGE The 23rd Edition of International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) is scheduled to be held from 7th to 13th of 2018. IFFK is one of the remarkable film events of the world with a great audience and fine selection of films. The fate of IFFK this year was quite apprehensive in the backdrop of the devastating floods that hit the State. However, the Government took a firm decision to proceed with the festival because rebuilding the distressed minds of the people is as important as rebuilding the damaged buildings, roads and bridges of the flood ravaged Kerala. It is necessary that the cultural activities are carried on as before in order to help in the post-disaster emotional recovery of Kerala society. Survival is not that easy without Art. The Film Festival is a vehicle for cultural interaction between various nations. The films shown in the festival depict the political and social issues of each of the nations. Therefore the event need not be viewed as a festival or celebration. The people of Kerala faced the deluge with great solidarity without any sectarian attitude or communal barriers. Collective cultural activities including the film festival help instil the humanistic values in the society. The 23rd edition of the Internationl Film Festival of Kerala will prove that the floods have not ruined the artistic fabric of Kerala. I wish a week-long memorable visual treat to all the delegates. A K Balan Hon’ble Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes, Law, Culture and Parliamentary Affairs Festival President, IFFK WELCOME NOTE It is with immense joy that I welcome you all to the 23rd edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK). This year’s film festival is not merely a celebration of art of cinema but the triumph of resilience of Kerala as a society. The huge floods that uprooted lives and livelihoods of a large number of its population has cast a shadow over the conduct of the festival. The Academy is thankful to the Government of Kerala for granting permission to hold the film festival amidst the pall of gloom initially spread over the State. As a society Kerala is still in the process of rebuilding and creating a New Kerala. The art of cinema offers a distinctive occassion for reaffirming the faith in hope and humanity. As all are aware, the Academy was forced to increase delegate fees to gather funds on its own. I am thankful to the delegates who were willing to shell out bigger fee and support the very existence of the Festival. I am indebted to you for standing in solidarity while the most sought after film festival of the country has been picking pieces and getting back on its feet. I can assure the delegates that the film fare we have arranged for you this year is one of the best in the history of IFFK. The Academy has not compromised on the quality of the content of the festival. A cursory glance at the festival films will reflect this fact. The IFFK has always been an enriching platform for experiencing human conditions all over the world. The worst situations give birth to hope which fuels us to keep going. I hope that amidst these trying times, this week-long Festival will energise the reassuring voyage towards a better visual culture and newly built Kerala with unflinching commitment to the values of tolerance and dialogue.