Thiruvananthapuram | The 18th IDSFFK, Kerala's premier festival for documentaries and short films, will be held here from October 2 to 7, state Tourism, Culture and Film Minister P C Vishnunath said on Tuesday.

The International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala will be organised at Kairali, Sree and Nila theatres, with preparations already under way, the minister told reporters here.

IDSFFK is the only international film festival in India dedicated exclusively to documentaries and short films that is organised by a state government. Over the years, it has become an important platform for innovative cinema, socially relevant films and emerging filmmakers from India and abroad.

The minister said the festival enjoys international recognition as an Oscar-qualifying event.

Award-winning documentaries at IDSFFK become eligible for direct consideration for the Academy Awards, making the festival an attractive platform for filmmakers from across the world.

A total of 1,741 entries have been received for this year's edition from India and overseas.

The selection process is under way to shortlist films for the competition, non-competition and Malayalam non-competition sections.

Separate selection committees have been formed to evaluate entries in the Long Documentary, Short Documentary, Short Fiction, Animation, Music Video and International Campus Films categories.

The films will be selected through a transparent process in line with international standards, the minister said.

Preparations for the six-day festival include upgrading technical facilities, screening arrangements, delegate services, academic programmes and guest participation to ensure the event is conducted at international standards