ttttttttttttttttjjjttttttACTIVITIES

The main activities of the Academy can be summarised as follows:

FILM FESTIVALS
International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK)
National Film Festival
Malayalam Film Festival
International Video Film Festival


OTHER FESTIVALS
Europian Union Film Festival
Spanish Film Festival
Touring Talkies


AWARDS
J.C.Daniel Award
State Film Award
State Television Award
IFFK Awards

PUBLICATIONS
Multimedia CD Rom on Malayalam Cinema
Publications on Cinema

WELFARE ACTIVITIES
Pension for Cine Artists
Medical Assistance to Cine Artists
Collection of Service charge from cinema theatres

FILM APPRECIATION
For Children
For Teachers and General Public


ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES
Film Archive
Cinema Library (Books & Videos)
Fellowship
World Cinema on Video (Weekly Screenings of Classics)
Film Viewing facility (video)


OTHERS
Promotion of Film Society movements
Exhibitions on Cinema
International Film Centre at KINFRA Film & Video Park

ACTIVITIES OF KERALA STATE CHALACHITRA ACADEMY:

The Government of Kerala has rightly acknowledged the importance of cinema as the most popular art form of the state by constituting an autonomous, non-profit institution Kerala State Chalachitra Academy (Motion Picture Academy of the Kerala State) under the Cultural Affairs Department in the year 1998. The state could proudly claim its status as the first in the country to set up a film academy of its own. Since its inception, KSCA managed the anchorage of good cinema promoting it as a cultural expression. Apart from supporting the thriving Malayalam film industry at home, KCSA enabled Malayalam films to burst on to international screens and create a niche in the international film firmament. It has also opened the windows of world cinema to the cinema onlookers of the state.

A snapshot of the activities organized by the Academy is summarized as follows:

International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK)

The International Film Festival of Kerala, one of the prominent film festivals of India is hosted by the Academy. IFFK has come to be known as Asia's best managed and probably the world’s most people-centered film festival. The Festival attracts representation from the best films, renowned directors, technicians and spectators from all across the globe. The latest edition held during December 2007 saw some 6000 delegates from both within the country and abroad attending and 129 films from 40 countries being screened.

International Video Festival of Kerala (IVFK)

The First International Video Festival of Kerala (IVFK), a new initiative by the Academy was held in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala from the 23rd to 27th May 2008. The festival, a unique venture in India was organized by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy for the Dept of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala as part of its endeavour to catalyse a vibrant video film movement. The festival has emerged as a platform to map and reflect the exploding nature of the medium in its many facets of creativity and resistance.

The festival had a non- competitive international segment as well as a competitive national segment. The segments screened 178 productions both from abroad and India which includes Long Documentaries (over 40mts), Short Documentaries, Short Fiction Video Films (under 70mts), Public Interest spots, Music Videos, Animation Films and Directorial ventures of students.

State Film Awards

The Academy organises the Kerala State Film Awards, which are given away yearly for the achievements in Malayalam Films. The awardees are decided by an independent jury constituted by the Academy and the Department of Cultural Affairs. These awards intend to promote films with artistic values and encourage artists and technicians.

J.C Daniel Award

The awards bestowed by the Academy include the prestigious J.C Daniel Award for outstanding contributions to Malayalam Cinema.

State TV Awards

The emergence of Television as a popular medium found acceptance at the Academy as separate awards were constituted for Television programmes also.

National Film Festival of Kerala

Academy has put the conduct of National Film Festival in its activity table with utmost significance. These festivals conducted in different parts of the state showcase Indian films. Alike the IFFK, the National Film Festivals have transformed into a platform not only for screening good films but also propelling meaningful dialogue on cinema with face to face interactions and open forums with eminent film personalities and film lovers. The last edition held at Thalassery was a huge success.

Spanish Film Festival

A five-day Spanish Film Festival was organised by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy for the Government of Kerala in association with the Spanish government as part of a cultural exchange programme between India and Spain.As many as 10 films directed by eminent Spanish directors were screened at the festival.
A delegation of Spanish film personalities including Carlos Saura, Ingrid Rubio, Maria Ruiz, Veronica Sanchez, Rosa Sarda, Bigas Luna, Julio Medem, Jorge Sanchez Cabezudo and Beatrice de la Gandara participated in the festival accompanied by a team of journalists from Spain.
In a reciprocal gesture, the government of Spain had organised a Kerala Film Festival at Madrid and Valadolid cities of Spain in collaboration with the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy.

European Union Film Festival

An exclusive collection of well-known contemporary films from all over Europe has been screened in the European Union Film Festival held at Kozhikode. Kerala State Chalachitra Academy collaborating with European Union Member States embassies and the Delegation of the European Commission has made this event a roaring success.

In this edition of the EU Film Festival, the inspiring diversity in the contemporary European film industry was showcased through an array of films, each one representing a different Member State that includes national and international hits with gripping thrillers, finger-on-the-pulse comedies and forceful modern-day dramas.

Visual Appreciation Camps for Children

Every year Academy organises summer holiday camps for children. The objective of the camps is to introduce a basic understanding and appreciation of films to children. This year, three camps were held in collaboration with the Kerala Shishu Kshema Samithi. The camps saw a participation of 150 children from different parts of the state.The course acquainted the partakers with the growth and history of world cinema and the technical aspects of film-making. Film classics both Indian and International has been used for critical analysis and study.

Five Day Film Appreciation Workshop for School Students-2010

Teachers’ Workshop on Film Appreciation

The present day students should be able to decode, understand, evaluate and write through, all forms of media and films and they should be able to read, evaluate and create text, images and sounds, or any combination of these elements. The teacher has to guide the learners to acquire tools, concepts, processes and strategies to view, analyse and appreciate films of different genre so as to make them critical viewers.

This critical issue is addressed by the teacher empowerment programme in Kerala promoted by Kerala State Chalachitra Academy and Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, Kerala. As a preliminary step, a series of 5-day workshops are underway to familiarize selected teachers with the concepts, processes, strategies, techniques, activities and tools on film appreciation. The first phase of Teachers’ workshop nearing completion by the end of July will generate 150 trained teachers who can professionally teach students on cinema.

Film Appreciation Course

Chalachitra Academy also conducts Short term film appreciation courses in association with National Film Archive, Pune and Kerala State Film Development Corporation.


Touring Talkies

The “Touring Talkies” programme of the Academy has virtually transformed into a Traveling Film Festival of sorts. In this programme, the Academy screens quality films like the old travelling picture shows of last century. Chalachitra Academy teams take film treasures from the Archive vaults to halls, colleges and schools throughout Kerala. Moving Pictures intends to grow as an agency which combines the strength of government funding, corporate marketing, Malayalam film talent and an economy of scale to market a season of Malayalam cinema to Keralites.

For More Details Please Click

CD-ROM on Malayalam Film History

The Chalachitra Academy has brought out a CD ROM on 75 years of the history of Malayalam cinema. The CD now marketed by ‘Malayala Manorama’ provides information on the silent era, early sound pictures, foundation of film industry, studios and production organisation, reflections of society in the cinema, literary influence, new stream cinema, mid stream cinema, actors and actor supremacy and changes in the nineties and the turn of the century. Bringing out an encyclopaedia on the 75 years of Malayalam Films stand high on Academy’s wish list.

Fellowship programme

To encourage serious academic research into Malayalam Cinema, the Academy runs a one year fellowship programme. These studies will be conducted under the guidance of eminent cinema academicians and practitioners. Selected topics will be published as book by the Chalachitra Academy.

Seminar & Exhibitions on Cinema

The organisation of seminars and exhibitions on cinema at different locales stands high on the activity calendar of Kerala Sate Chalachitra Academy.

Welfare Activities

The welfare activities undertaken by the Academy includes pension and medical assistance for Cine Artists.

Film Library and Archives

In another major accomplishment, Academy has marshalled 150 DVDs and 60 VHS of world classics in the film library. The library holds a collection of over 2500 books related with cinema. Academy also maintains an archive comprising 35 mm prints of coveted multilingual films and documentaries. Academy has plans to expand the set up and launch a state-of-the-art film archive of international standards, a museum, a library and a documentation centre in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala.

Home Theatre (Film Viewing Facility at Academy Premises)

A home theatre for film viewing is open at the Academy during its office hours. Public come and watch films including world classics at their own choice paying a nominal fee of Rs. 20.

Wednesday Screening

Kerala State Chalachitra Academy proposes to re-launch its renowned “Wednesday Film Screening “Programme from the month of July, 2008. This event is designed to create a platform for screening good International and National films for the discerning viewers. Academy intends to partner with the State Central Library in this endeavour organised under the aegis of Ministry of Education and Culture, Govt. of Kerala.

Publications

The publication division of Academy has to its credit several titles on cinema. Academy intends to release a newsletter soon to disseminate the information on its buzzing activities.

Promotion of Film Societies

The successful reach of cinema to the masses links with the active Film Societies in Kerala since long. Academy has taken firm interest in strengthening the network of film societies by providing grants to those affiliated with FFSI. Academy also partners with the film societies in organising film festivals, seminars, discussions and film appreciation courses.