M.A. Baby opens office for IFFK
Kerala Cultural Affairs Minister M.A. Baby�inaugurated�an office for the 13th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) at Kairali Theatre, the main festival venue, on Tuesday. Addressing newsmen in Thiruvananthapuram, he said that the delegates would be able to book balcony seats online two days ahead of screenings. The festival will be held from December 12 to 19 in the capital.
“Booking kiosks have already been provided at Kairali, New and Kalabhavan theatres. The booked seats will be reserved till five minutes before the film begins, after which the unoccupied seats will be given on a first-come, first-served basis,” he said.� The online reservation will begin from December 10. A delegate can reserve only one seat per screening for a maximum of three films a day.
Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan will inaugurate the eight-day festival on Friday, showcasing 182 films from 53 countries. Argentinean film maker Fernando Birri and South Indian actor K.R. Vijaya will be the chief guests at the inaugural ceremony. Laila’s Birthday, a Palestinian film by director Rashid Masharawi, will be the opening film.
The minister also said the competition films were selected from 248 entries, including 179 foreign films. Around 145 artistes, including 6,300 delegates and 41 directors from 23 countries, are expected to attend the festival. The award-winning film will bag Rs. 10 lakh and The Golden Crow Pheasant Award.
