IFFK 2025: Kerala Govt Defies Centre, Screens 'Battleship Potemkin' and 18 Films Without CBFC Nod

In this report from the 30th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), India Today's Shibi Mol details the state government's decision to defy the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The Pinarayi Vijayan administration has decided to screen 19 films that were denied clearance by the Centre, including Sergei Eisenstein's classic 'Battleship Potemkin' and several Palestinian narratives such as 'Once Upon a Time in Gaza' and 'Wajib'. Shibi Mol notes that the state government has 'challenged the center' by asserting they will proceed with the screenings regardless of permission. The move marks another escalation in the standoff between the Kerala government and the Union Ministry over artistic freedom and censorship.