Overview
- The eight-day festival runs December 12–19 with 206 films from 82 countries across 26 sections at venues across the city.
- Annemarie Jacir’s Palestine 36 opened the festival and anchors a curated Palestine package titled From Under the Olive Tree.
- Culture Minister Saji Cherian used his speech to affirm government support for the survivor in the actor assault case after a trial court announced the quantum of sentence for a convicted accused.
- Canadian filmmaker Kelly Fyffe-Marshall received the Spirit of Cinema award, which recognises women directors and carries a ₹5 lakh cash prize.
- The edition honours Abderrahmane Sissako with a Lifetime Achievement Award and a special package of his films, with guests including Palestine’s ambassador and Chilean director Pablo Larraín.