The award-winning director further observed that only films which receive clearance from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting should be scheduled for screening at a festival. He also said the Centre must clearly explain why permission was granted for some films while approvals for others were delayed.

“Scheduling films without prior permissions is not something any festival would do, and cancelling 19 films altogether is an extremely uncommon practice in international film festivals,” Dr Biju wrote.

Taking a dig at the organisers, he remarked that those entrusted with managing such crises, the Chalachithra Academy chairman and the festival’s artistic director, were conspicuously absent. “The fact that a person equivalent to a dummy was selected as the Academy president, who merely ‘visits’ the festival, shows the flimsy manner in which the government treats the Academy,” he said.

Noting that the post of artistic director has remained vacant for the past few years, Dr Biju added that leaving the festival to be handled solely by officials in the absence of both key positions reflected a careless attitude and a lack of vision on the part of the organisers.