Culture Minister P.C. Vishnunath opens the 18th IDSFFK and says a scheme for young documentary filmmakers is planned
25 September 2026
Culture Minister P.C. Vishnunath inaugurated the 18th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK) at Kairali Theatre, Thiruvananthapuram, on Friday, 25 September 2026.
He said the government is considering a special scheme to encourage young documentary filmmakers.
The scheme would bring together the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, film societies, universities and media institutions.
The minister said Kerala was the first state in the country to grant industry status to cinema.
Filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan was the chief guest at the inauguration.
The minister said 31 films selected for the festival had not received screening permission and that the government was pursuing legal steps to screen them.
In plain words
IDSFFK International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala — Kerala's annual festival devoted to documentaries and short films, held in Thiruvananthapuram.
Industry status — Recognition that lets a sector be treated as an industry for government support and finance.