Thiruvananthapuram/New Delhi: The ongoing 30th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) plunged into a crisis following the Centre's refusal to grant censor exemption certificates to several films, including Soviet auteur Sergei Eisenstein's black and white classic, 'Battleship Potemkin', leading to cancellations, uncertainty in scheduling and sharp political and artistic reactions.

'Battleship Potemkin' was first released on December 21, 1925 and will celebrate its 100th birth anniversary this weekend.

However, the Centre on Tuesday rejected allegations of selective denial saying the decision was based purely on procedural grounds. Ministry sources said 178 films were granted exemption out of 187 applications received, adding that the organizers applied for exemption on Dec 3, whereas guidelines require applications to be submitted at least 15 days before the start of a festival.

The 30th edition of IFFK began on Dec 12 and will continue till Dec 19. According to organizers, screening permission was denied to some films as they did not have the mandatory censor exemption certificate issued by the Union ministry of information and broadcasting. As a result, seven screenings scheduled over the past two days were cancelled. Organizers warned that the situation could worsen, with up to eight more screenings facing the risk of cancellation if clearances were not received in time.

The delay or denial of these exemptions triggered the current impasse, leaving organizers legally barred from proceeding with the screenings, even for internationally acclaimed works.

'Battleship Potemkin', 74 minutes long, invariably figures in every list of "Greatest Films of All time". The film dramatized the Potemkin crew's real-life mutiny against its officers in 1905 Czarist Russia. Over the decades, the film's 'Odessa Steps' sequence became part of every cinema syllabus for both cinematographers and editors.

Apart from Eisenstein's film, several other high-profile movies were initially refused permission. Three films under the Palestine package, including 'Palestine 36', were also denied permission, raising concerns over selective clearances. 'Palestine 36', however, was screened during the opening ceremony as organizers said they had not received the list of restricted films at that time.

The state govt said later that the Centre on Tuesday granted clearance to four more films: 'Beef', 'Once Upon A Time In Gaza', 'Eagles Of The Republic' and 'Heart Of The Wolf'.

Veteran filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan said denying films permission based on titles or perceived themes undermined artistic freedom and the very spirit of international film festivals.

CPM general secretary M A Baby alleged that the Centre was deliberately attempting to sabotage the festival, accusing it of interfering in cultural spaces. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor intervened in the matter, seeking an early resolution to prevent further disruption to the festival.

Meanwhile, Kerala's cultural affairs minister Saji Cherian directed the State Chalachitra Academy to ensure that none of the selected films were dropped and asserted that all films would be screened in accordance with the original schedule.

Senior actor Siddique and ace filmmaker Ranjith were accused of sexual misconduct

Thiruvananthapuram/Kochi: The Malayalam film industry, which was rocked by the Justice K Hema Committee’s explosive report on sexual abuse and exploitation of women professionals over the past week, witnessed two high-profile resignations on Sunday. Filmmaker Ranjith stepped down as chairman of the state-run Kerala Chalachitra Academy while actor Siddique resigned as general secretary of AMMA (Association of Malayalam Movie Artists).

Besides public outcry and political pressure, there was also a growing demand for their resignation from within the film fraternity. A Bengali actress had come up with allegations of misbehaviour against Ranjith on Friday and pressure was building up for his resignation over the past two days. The actor had alleged that the filmmaker misbehaved with her during an audition for 2009 movie ‘Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathira Kolapathakathinte Katha’.

Various revelations of sexual assaults and demands made over the past two days have brought in a palpable change in the govt’s response. It had earlier maintained that those affected should come forward to file complaints so that the charges can be probed. However, on Sunday, it constituted an investigation team, which will be contacting those reportedly affected in the industry and going ahead with an investigation if they cooperated with it.

Culture minister Saji Cherian said the govt had not sought Ranjith’s resignation, but sources said the final decision on whether he should continue in the post or not came from chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the message was communicated to him.

CPI had openly demanded his resignation while CPM found it difficult to protect him. The opposition Congress and BJP had already demanded his resignation. BJP activists took out a protest march to his residence in Kozhikode on Sunday morning while Congress demanded that a case should be registered against him and a proper investigation carried out.

In an audio clip released to media, Ranjith however termed the allegations as an organized attack against the LDF govt and said he would fight legally to prove them wrong. “I am not ready to continue in the post of academy chairman as it would adversely impact the reputation of the LDF govt,” he said.

Siddique, meanwhile, resigned over the rape allegation levelled against him by a young actor.

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