Centre Blocks 19 Films at Kerala Film Festival, Including Palestine Titles and Cinema Classic 'Battleship Potemkin'

India’s Union ministry of information and broadcasting has denied screening permission to 19 films at the 2025 International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), prompting criticism from festival organisers and filmmakers who describe the move as unprecedented in the event’s history.

The festival, underway in Thiruvananthapuram from December 12 to 19, was forced to cancel multiple screenings after exemptions were withheld for a group of films spanning continents, eras and political contexts. Among the titles affected were several Palestinian works, including Palestine 36, Once Upon a Time in Gaza, All That’s Left of You and Wajib. Also denied clearance was Battleship Potemkin, Sergei Eisenstein’s 1925 Soviet classic, widely regarded as foundational to modern film language and celebrated globally this year on its centenary.

Although films screened at festivals are not required to obtain censor certification, they must receive an exemption from the ministry. Organisers say that while individual films have faced objections in the past, this is the first time such a large number of films have been blocked simultaneously, throwing the programme into disarray.

Cuckoo Parameswaran, vice-chairperson of IFFK, told reporters that the decision had logistical and financial consequences for attendees. “187 movies were sent to the I&B ministry for exemption. We did not get approval yet for 19 movies. There are many people who took flight tickets and registered for IFFK to come here. This creates a lot of issues,” Parameswaran said, adding that nine screenings were cancelled on December 15 alone.

The list also includes Santosh, Sandhya Suri’s internationally acclaimed film examining caste hierarchies, which premiered at Cannes and has yet to receive an Indian theatrical release. Suri is serving as a jury member at the festival this year. The Spanish film Beef, which traces the life of a rising rap artist and bears no political connection to its title, was also among those denied permission.

Further exclusions include Timbuktu and Bamako by Mauritanian filmmaker Abderrahmane Sissako, who is being honoured with a lifetime achievement award at this edition of IFFK, as well as films previously screened at the festival, such as Clash and The Hour of the Furnaces.

Veteran filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan criticised the decision, calling it an act of cultural illiteracy. “All these movies are very important movies in the history of cinema. If they say it cannot be screened then that is because of ignorance,” he told reporters. “Battleship Potemkin can be considered a textbook to study cinema. The authorities should reconsider this decision.”

The ministry has not yet issued a public explanation for the refusals.