Film fests are academic events: Kerala film academy chief

Film festivals are primarly academic exercises and the presence of celebrities and staging of entertainment events are not essential for their success, says eminent director Rajeev Nath, Chairman of the Kerala Chalachitra Academy.
As the 19th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) is all set to start here on December 12, Nath said each movie festival gives viewers a rare chance to experience different cultures of the world on a single stage.
"I do not want to call film festivals as carnivals. It is primarly an academic exercise for serious movie buffs. It should be taken with that seriousness," Nath, a many time award-winning director, told PTI.

He said the increasing participation of delegates in IFFK, organised by the Chalachitra Academy, every year shows that the number of serious movie lovers are increasing.
"Majority of film festivals, especially those like IFFK, are celebrations of academic cinema. Those who wish to see cinema from an academic angle and as a serious medium are mostly coming to such events," Nath, who is known for a handful of critically acclaimed movies like 'Janani', 'Aham' and 'Pakalnakshatrangal', said.
He, however, said a minority group who are coming to festivals with the intention of watching uncensored movies, create often trouble for the organisers and serious movie buffs every year.

The upcoming edition of IFFK, a sought-after annual event which lures a large audience from all over Kerala and outside, will screen over 140 films from across the globe in 10 different packages like 'International Competition', 'World Cinema', 'Jury Film', 'Country Focus', 'Malayalam Cinema Today, 'Chinese Film Package', 'Retrospective', 'Contemporary Master','French Film Package' and 'Indian Cinema'.