Thiruvananthapuram (29 Nov 2022): The 27th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) scheduled to be held from December 9th-16th at Thiruvananthapuram will honor the unconventional and inspiring Hungarian Master Bela Tarr with Lifetime Achievement Award. A legendary film pioneer, Tarr often highlighted humanitarian issues in his films using a unique cinematic philosophy, which soon grew as a cinematic concept that is followed by other filmmakers worldwide. IFFK will have a Retrospective of his films which includes Werckmeister Harmonies and The Turin Horse, two of his finest works. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will present the award at the closing ceremony on 16th December to Bela Tarr who is on his first visit to India. A comprehensive book in Malayalam on the maestro written by C.S Venkiteswaran is being published by the Academy on this occasion.
The 27th edition of the festival which showcases 184 films from over 70 countries will open with the India Premiere screening of Dardenne Brother’s masterfully crafted Tori and Lokita which premiered in the Competition section of Cannes Films festival this year and also received the Cannes 75th Anniversary Award. The film, which is a refugee drama portrays two African-born children trying to build a life together on the streets of Belgium.
This year, the festival gives a special focus on films from the silent and early talkie era through a retrospective of one of the first masters of world cinema F.W. Murnau and silent films with a live music section. The Festival will have retrospectives of Serbian Master Emir Kusturica and Chilean-French avant-garde filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky. Serbia, home to many internationally acclaimed filmmakers, is the focus country for the current edition and the section showcases 6 distinguished films from contemporary Serbian cinema.
The Govt. of Kerala has always supported individual voices and expressions of protest through art and cinema. IFFK reinstates it by awarding Ms. Mahnaz Mohammadi with the Spirit of Cinema Award.
The festival will have a specially curated section of Silent Films with live music by BFI Resident Pianist Jonny Best. Jonny is one of a small number of pianists specializing in improvising silent film accompaniments. The festival’s most alluring segment comprises five films, including the centenary screening of F. W. Murnau’s much-acclaimed silent horror film Nosferatu. Five of his prominent films will be screened in the retrospective section.
Serbia will be the Country in Focus. Six Serbian films are slated to be screened in this category including Milos Pusic’s ‘Working Class Heroes’ which premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival this year
