IFFK 2014: 19th International Film Festival Kerala Pays Tribute to 100 Years of Turkish Cinema

With a total of 140 films, 10 sections and 12 theatres, Kerala's biggest film fete', the "International Film Festival of Kerala" (IFFK 2014) started rolling on Friday, 12 December.

The event was inaugurated by Oommen Chandy at Nishagandhi Amphitheatre in Thiruvananthapuram, the biggest open air theatre in Kerala. 

The event will be presided over by minister for Forest Transport, Sports, Environment, and Cinema Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, who also inaugurated the IFFK Delegate cell at Tagore Theater on 8 December.

Turkish filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylan is the chief guest for the inaugural event, which will be paying tribute to the completion of 100 years of Turkish cinema.

Turkish films to be showcased during the course of the week-long movie gala include "Yozgat Blues" directed by Mahmut Fazil Cozkum, "Night of Silence" by Reis Çelik, "I Am Not Him" by Tayfun Pirselimoglu, "Majority" by Seren Yuce, "Come to My Voice' by Huseyin Karabey "Sivas" by Kaan Mujdesi and "Pandora's Box" by Yeşim Ustaoğlu.

The world cinema package of the IFFK has a total of 60 films from 37 countries, including, French and Chinese film packages.

The French package has seven films: "La Religieuse" (The Nun), "Mes Seances de Lutte" (Love Battles), "Age of Uprising: The Legend of Michael Kohlhaas", "Le Temps de L'Aventure" (Just a Sigh), "Grand Central", "Les Beaux Jours" (Bright Days Ahead) and "La Bataille de Solferino" (Age of Panic).

As many as six Chinese films, depicting an array of themes from real life relationships to tyrannies and revolts, will delight the audiences. "The Continent", "The Golden Era", "ATA", "Nezha", "Uncle Victory" and "Red Amnesia" are the movies to be screened in this category.

IFFK's 19^th edition is also said to have 12 films directed by women and seven great films in the Indian cinema category. Competition section has films from Asian ,African, and Latin American nations.

Only one film, "Dancing Arabs" will be showcased on the opening day. The film directed by Eran Rikli tells the story of a Palestinian boy who gets a scholarship to an Israeli school, and struggles to find his identity there.