The festival
The International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) is held annually in Thiruvananthapuram and is hosted by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy on behalf of the state's Department of Cultural Affairs. It is one of India's most respected festivals for auteur and world cinema, known for its enthusiastic delegate audiences.
Worth knowing
The festival is generally cited as having begun in 1996 and has grown into a leading platform for cinema from Asia, Africa and Latin America. It is held in December each year.
How to attend
Members of the public register as delegates to attend screenings at cinemas across Thiruvananthapuram. Delegate registration and the schedule are handled through the official IFFK website.
Awards & submissions
IFFK’s top award is the Suvarna Chakoram (Golden Crow Pheasant) for Best Film, carrying a cash prize shared between producer and director, with Silver Crow Pheasant awards for Best Director and Best Debut Director. The juried competition is distinctive for its focus on cinema from Asia, Africa and Latin America, and the festival also presents an Audience Award, a FIPRESCI prize and a NETPAC award for the best Asian film. Organized by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy on behalf of the state’s cultural affairs department, IFFK is known for its large, enthusiastic delegate audiences who register to attend screenings across Thiruvananthapuram each December. Filmmakers submit through the festival’s official call for entries, with delegate registration, the competition rules and the schedule handled through the iffk.in website ahead of each edition.
Official site →Dates and programs change year to year — check the official site for the current edition.