The prestigious International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) is set to offer cinephiles a curated journey through landmark world cinema at its upcoming edition. The Kerala State Chalachitra Academy has announced a special retrospective featuring 11 notable films that have won the coveted Golden Crow Pheasant award in the festival's earlier editions. The festival itself is scheduled to run from December 12 to 19 in Thiruvananthapuram.
A Retrospective of Award-Winning Global Cinema
This special segment is designed to highlight cinematic works that have left an indelible mark on contemporary world cinema. The selection is a veritable who's who of critically acclaimed films from across the globe. The lineup includes masterpieces such as Hou Hsiao-hsien's Flowers of Shanghai, Asghar Farhadi's gripping drama About Elly, and the poignant Indian film Ottaal by Jayaraj.
Other significant titles featured are Nabil Ayouch's Ali Zaoua: Prince of the Streets, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun's Abouna, and works from directors like Lucía Puenzo (XXY) and Annemarie Jacir (Wajib). This retrospective provides a unique opportunity for audiences to experience these influential narratives on the big screen, tracing the artistic evolution celebrated by IFFK over the years.
An Acclaimed Yet Exiled Filmmaker to Lead the International Jury
Adding considerable prestige to the festival's competitive section is the appointment of acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof as the chairperson of the international competition jury. Rasoulof stands as one of the rare directors to have won eight awards at the Cannes Film Festival for just four films. His most recent work, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, alone secured four awards at Cannes last year.
His mantle is also adorned with other major international honours, including the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, the Golden Peacock at IFFI Goa, and the Silver Hugo at the Chicago International Film Festival. However, his commitment to independent filmmaking has come at a great personal cost. Rasoulof has faced prolonged censorship and punitive action from the Iranian government.
Currently living in forced exile in Germany, none of his five feature films have been allowed an official release in his home country. His presence at IFFK underscores the festival's commitment to celebrating cinematic art that speaks truth to power.
A Diverse and Accomplished Jury Panel
Rasoulof will be joined by a panel of distinguished international film personalities. The jury members include Spanish actress Ángela Molina, whose celebrated career spans over five decades and who is revered as one of European cinema's most respected actors.
The panel also features Vietnamese filmmaker and writer Bùi Thạc Chuyên, known for his award-winning works at festivals in Busan and Shanghai; Malaysian filmmaker Edmund Yeo, whose films have been selected for top festivals like Venice, Cannes, and Toronto; and British-Indian filmmaker Sandhya Suri. Suri's debut feature, Santosh (2024), premiered at Cannes and was subsequently shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, marking her as a significant new voice in contemporary cinema.
The combination of the Golden Crow Pheasant retrospective and a jury led by a figure of Rasoulof's stature and resilience promises to make IFFK 2024 a particularly compelling edition. It reaffirms the festival's role as a vital platform for meaningful global cinema and a sanctuary for artistic expression, set against the vibrant cultural backdrop of Kerala's capital.
