Thiruvananthapuram: State Minister for Films and Culture Saji Cherian on Tuesday sought to defend the jury's decision not to confer any award on children's films at the 2024 Kerala State Film Awards, even as young child actress Deva Nandha criticised the move.

Cherian said he had personally asked the jury about the omission and was told that "there were four films in the category, and in the final lap, two children's films remained, but the jury did not find sufficient creative elements in them to merit an award".

"Out of the 128 films submitted, only about 10 per cent were found to meet quality standards," the minister said.

"The jury has suggested that the government should actively promote children's films, and we will take steps in that direction. The panel was concerned about the

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