Thiruvananthapuram : The 18th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK) will kick off in the capital on Friday. The opening film, A Fox Under a Pink Moon , an award-winning documentary by Mehrdad Oskouei , will be screened following the inaugural ceremony.




The film tells the story of a young artist caught between displacement and survival through the experience of 16-year-old Afghan artist Soraya , who has spent five years trying to travel from Iran to Austria.




Minister for culture and tourism P C Vishnunadh will inaugurate the festival at Kairali theatre . The function will be presided over by minister for transport C P John . The ceremony will feature the release of key festival publications — Festival Catalogue, daily bulletin and fellowship books.




The first day will feature screenings from the International Fiction and International Non-Fiction sections. International Fiction section will feature 14 films, including the Chinese film ‘Kleptomania’, ‘City of Owls’ by Zhenia Kazankina, and Luukas Osara’s ‘Youssef’.




Eight films will be screened in the International Non-Fiction section category, including ‘Robots’ match’, ‘The Eyes of Ghana’, and Orwell ‘2+2=5’.




The festival, which is on till Sept 30 , will screen more than 300 documentaries and short films in 30 sections. These include short films, animation, music videos, campus films, international films, retrospectives and jury films. A homage section will pay tribute to film personalities who have passed away. The festival will also have meet the director, face-to-face conversations, masterclass and cultural programmes.