'New Wave' proponent Godard bags IFFK Lifetime Achievement award

Eminent French-Swissfilmmaker and critic Jean-Luc Godard, the proponent of theFrench New Wave film movement that paved way fortransformation of world cinema, has been chosen for theLifetime Achievement Award in this year's InternationalFilmFestival of Kerala (IFFK).

The award comprisesa cash prize of Rs 10 lakh, the stateFilm Academy, the organiser of the event, said here onThursday.

The 25th edition of theIFFK, postponed from last monthdue to COVID-19 pandemic, is scheduledto be held inFebruary-March in compliance with safety protocols.

Godard, who has over 45 movies to his credit, was afilmmaker who changed the visual language of the moviesthrough cinemas like 'Alphaville, 'A Woman is a Woman' and soon.

He would take part in the ceremony via online as heinformedthe organisers that he could not travel due to theCOVID pandemic situation, Academy officials here said.

Legendary filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan would accept thehonor for Godard, they said.

To mark the silver jubilee of the IFFK, Chief MinisterPinarayi Vijayan would release a commemorative postal stampand first day post cover at the venue of the upcoming statefilm award function, they added.

Meanwhile, the online registration for the annual moviegala would begin on January 30.

This time, the festival would be held in four regions inthe state, though it is usually held at its permanent venue inthe state capital.

The gala would be organised for five days each in eachzone- from February 10 to 14 in the state capital and 17 to 21in Ernakulam, 23 to 27 in Thalassery and from March 1 to 5 inPalakkad.

Movies would be screened in five theatres for five daysunder various categories in each region.

The inaugural ceremony would be held inThiruvananthapuram and the concluding session in Palakkad, hesaid, adding that the usual public programmes or culturalevents, which attract large crowds, would not be held.

Delegates should fully comply with COVID-19 protocol andwould be allowed entry in theatres only after thermalscreening, they said adding that seats can be provided bystrictly maintaining social distance, officials added.