Pioneers

Movement

Regional council

Association

Production

Publication

Enter Video

Association

In the beginning The Film Societies in Keralam were under the Southern Region of the Federation of Film Societies of India. They were not satisfied with the treatment of the Regional Council in Madras. There were so many problems regarding circulation of films, affiliation of Societies etc. That lead to the formation of an informal organization, AFSIK (Association of Film Societies in Keralam), under the leadership of Chitralekha. That was the first attempt for associating Film Societies in Keralam. Mr. Kulathoor Bhaskaran Nair, on behalf of AFSIK, led a legal battle against FFSI at Calcutta High Court for allowing a separate region for Keralam. At that time number-wise and activity-wise Societies in Keralam were far better than their counter parts in any other State. At last FFSI was forced for a settlement and a State-level office was allowed to Keralam which came into effect in December 1985 after the Silver Jubilee Celebrations of FFSI held at Trivandrum. Jose Thettayil of Angamali Film Society, Sriram Menon of Changanassery Film Society, P.T. Ramakrishnan of Sarga Film Society, P.N. Narayanan of Mass Film Society, Trichur, P.N. Muraleedharan of Kasaragod Film Society, and George Mathew of Chalachitra Film Society, Trivandrum were the members of the Regional Council at Madras from Keralam
during 1975-1990. In 1985 the State level office of FFSI was opened in Trivandrum and Rajasekhara Pillai of Chalachitra Film Society was elected as the first State level Secretary.

The 'Open Forum' Session, , which became a major attraction in all future International Film Festivals as a forum for interaction and discussion , was first introduced by Film Societies Federation of Keralam, in Filmotsav(IFFI) 1988.
In 1990 D. Chandrasenan of BEAM Film Society took charge as the Secretary of the KSLO. From 1992 to 1994 Cherian Joseph of Janasamskara Film Society and from 1994 to 1995 B.M. Suresh of Saparya Film Soceity was the Secretaries of KSLO. In 1995 S. Suresh Babu became the Secretary. V.K. Joseph of Sparc Film Society, K.S. Prasanna Kumar of Soorya Film Society and Madhu Janardanan of Resmi Film Society were the members of the Regional Council in Madras during 1990-2000.

Admitting a long term plea of the Kerala Film Societies, a separate region namely South-West Region was allowed to Keralam in the 1999 at the Pune triennial national conference. It was an after effect of the decision taken at the Central Council meeting held at Madurai on 19th September 1998. Adoor Gopalakrishnan inaugurated the region in June 2000. Now the South West Region of the Federation of Film Societies of India is functioning at Thiruvananthapuram with strength of more than 70 affiliated Societies.