Kazhcha-Niv Independent Film Festival

The Kazhcha-Niv Independent Film Festival (KNIFF) is a niche festival for independent cinema in India held annually in Thiruvananthapuram. The festival debuted in 2017, and is hosted by Kazhcha Chalachithra Vedi, a local film society, in collaboration with Niv Art Centre, an Art and Cultural society in New Delhi.[1] The festival is held in December parallel to the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK).[2]

Kazhcha-Niv Independent Film Festival
LocationThiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Hosted byKazhcha Chalachithra Vedi, Niv Art Centre
Festival dateDecember
LanguageInternational
Websitewww.kniff.in

History

The festival was launched to remedy the exclusion of certain indie films in the International Film Festival of Kerala. Director Sanal Kumar Sasidharan pulled his film, Sexy Durga, which had previously won the first-place Tiger Award in the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) from the Malayalam Cinema Today section of IFFK, and alleged that the festival was not giving due respect to independent films.[3] Following the incident, Kazhcha Chalachithra Vedi announced the new festival. The first year of the festival was inaugurated by Anand Gandhi, the director of Ship of Theseus.[4][5]

Highlights
Coffee Chat with Adoor Gopalakrishnan 2017

The festival screens film and offers various programs. After screenings a conversation between a critic and the audience is conducted in the presence of the filmmaker. The program is called Reflections.[6] Coffee Chat is another program in which young filmmakers are invited to the home of a Malayalam film personality for coffee.[7] The Panel is a debate-style discussion over contemporary social and film-related subjects.[8] Personalities give speeches on various issues. The Bbridge is a midnight discussion forum to connect artists and audiences.[9]

2017

The 2017 edition presented Karie directed by Shanavas Naranippuzha, a Malayalam satire on caste, An Insignificant Man, Vith, Thooppu, Kothanodi, Ralang Road, The Golden Wing, Machines, Eli Eli Lama Sabachthani?, Juze, Ashwatthama, A Billion Colour Story, Turup, Samantharashramangal, Eight And A Half Intercuts: Life And Films Of K.G George and Richter Scale 7.6.[10]

2018

The 2018 edition took Inclusion as its theme and was inaugurated by screenwriter and LGBTQ activist Apurva Asrani. Bird of Dusk, a documentary on Rituparno Ghosh by Sangeeta Datta who challenged gender boundaries with this life and work, was the opening film.[11]

References
  1. M, Athira (2017-12-07). "Kazhcha Indie Film Fest gives a platform for indie movies". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2019-02-20.
  2. "A film festival for alternative thoughts". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2019-02-20.
  3. Director of ‘S Durga’ holds his own indie film festival in Kerala parallel to IFFK – thenewsminute
  4. Desk, metromatinee Tweet (2017-12-07). "The Kazhcha Indie Film Festival KIFF will be inaugurated by Anand Gandhi". metromatinee.com Lifestyle Entertainment & Sports. Retrieved 2019-02-20.
  5. Kahlon, Sukhpreet. "KIFF 2017: Tribe of indie filmmakers begins 'corrective action'". Cinestaan. Retrieved 2019-02-20.
  6. "KNIFF kicks off in style". United News of India. December 7, 2018. Retrieved 2019-02-20.
  7. starbio (2018-12-09). "Filmmaker KP Kumaran at the KNIFF Coffee Chat". Star Biography , Height, Weight, Age, Wiki, Family and more. Retrieved 2019-02-20.
  8. Bindu, Vidyasree. "Panel at KNIFF calls for more organized fight against film censorship". Cinestaan. Retrieved 2019-02-20.
  9. "Indian cinema has not done justice to transgenders: Kalki Subramaniam – Cinestaan". Dailyhunt. Retrieved 2019-02-20.
  10. "Kazhcha Indie Film Fest from Friday – Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2019-02-20.
  11. "'I expect more films that celebrate inclusiveness'". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2019-02-20.
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