The 30th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), set to begin on 12 December, will open with the film Palestine 36, directed by Annemarie Jacir. The festival, entering its 30th edition, will run in Thiruvananthapuram till 19 December.
According to a release from the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, the organisers of the festival, the film is an epic historical drama portraying the Palestinian uprising against British colonisation.
The title refers to the year when Palestine began to revolt against British rule and Zionism.
Palestine 36 was awarded best film at the Tokyo International Film Festival and is Palestine's official entry for best international feature film at the 98th Academy Awards.
Wajib, another film by Jacir, for which she won the IFFK’s Golden Crow Pheasant in 2017, will also be screened as part of a special package showcasing earlier Suvarna Chakoram winners.
The Chalachitra Academy announced that this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award will be conferred on acclaimed Malian filmmaker Abderrahmane Sissako, recognising his extensive contribution to world cinema.
Five of his films — Life on Earth (1999), Waiting for Happiness (2002), Bamako (2006), Timbuktu (2014), and Black Tea (2004) — will be screened at this year’s festival.
