Pinarayi Vijayan assures Kerala will screen all films banned by centre at IFFK
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that all films denied screening permission by the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) 2025 would be screened at the event. The CM called the Centre’s decision unacceptable and an assault on creative freedom.
In a statement shared on Facebook posted on Monday, Vijayan said the refusal to grant permission for several films scheduled at the 30th edition of IFFK shows an attempt to curb dissent and silence diverse artistic voices. He assured that Kerala would not submit to what he described as censorship imposed by the Union government. The CM also reaffirmed that all films barred from screening would be shown at the festival.
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The state government, led by the Left Democratic Front, said the move amounted to suppression of creative expression under an authoritarian political framework. Vijayan said “enlightened Kerala” would resist such actions and ensure that filmmakers and audiences were not denied access to the works selected for the festival.
Among the films denied permission are four that deal with the Palestinian experience, Palestine 36, Yes, Once Upon a Time in Gaza, and All That’s Left of You. Notably, Palestine 36, an Arabic and English-language film, had already been screened as the inaugural film of the festival before permission was withdrawn.
Several other international and classic films were also barred, including A Poet: Unconcealed Poetry, Bamako, Sergei Eisenstein’s 1925 classic Battleship Potemkin, Beef, Clash, Eagles of The Republic, Heart of The Wolf, Red Rain, Riverstone, The Hour of The Furnaces, Tunnels: Sun In The Dark (Địa Đạo: Mặt Trời Trong Bóng Tối), Flames, Timbuktu, Wajib, and Santosh.
Festival organisers said film titles are routinely submitted in advance to the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for approval, as the ministry has the authority to deny screenings if films are considered harmful to India’s diplomatic relations. Kerala authorities said no specific reasons were communicated for rejecting the films.
The International Film Festival of Kerala is organised by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy under the state’s cultural affairs department and this year's edition began in Thiruvananthapuram on December 12, which is scheduled to conclude on December 19.
CPI(M) state secretary M A Baby said the attempt to block film screenings was aimed at derailing a globally respected cultural event organised by the Kerala government. He described the move as an expression of “neo-fascist tendencies” under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, and called on artists, filmmakers and democratic voices across the country to protest against what he termed a disgraceful act.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
