Thiruvananthapuram, August 24, 2026: Kerala Tourism is looking to the younger generation to bring the state’s rich cultural heritage and traditional art forms to a wider audience through digital storytelling and filmmaking.

As part of the state government’s 100-day action plan, the Kerala Tourism Department and Department of Culture are jointly considering a documentary-making competition for school students. The initiative aims to encourage young people to explore, document and promote Kerala’s traditional art forms and cultural practices, particularly those that are gradually disappearing from public attention.

The preliminary proposal envisages students producing documentaries of up to 15 minutes around themes connecting Kerala’s traditional arts with tourism. The initiative has been proposed by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy in association with the Tourism Department.

The idea is to use the filmmaking and digital-content skills that young people are already developing through smartphones and social media. According to officials involved in the proposal, many students are creating high-quality short videos and reels using mobile phones, and these skills could also be used to document Kerala’s cultural landscape.

The proposed competition is expected to focus on high-school and higher-secondary students. The entries would be assessed by a selection committee, with the best productions expected to receive cash prizes and certificates. There is also a proposal to explore screening selected documentaries at a documentary festival or in cinemas.

The initiative could give students an opportunity to document a wide range of Kerala’s cultural traditions, from classical and folk performances to local customs, festivals, crafts and community-based practices. Such visual documentation can also become a valuable tourism resource by presenting Kerala through the perspective of its younger generation.

The proposal is part of broader efforts to introduce children to cinema, filmmaking and cultural heritage while creating greater awareness of Kerala’s traditional arts. The exact competition criteria and other details have not yet been finalised. Officials said the plan is expected to be finalised after the Onam period.

The proposed initiative comes at a time when digital media has become an increasingly important tool for destination promotion. Short films, documentaries, photographs and social-media videos can introduce lesser-known cultural experiences and destinations to travellers in India and abroad.

For Kerala tourism, involving young filmmakers could therefore serve a dual purpose: encouraging the next generation to connect with the state’s heritage while creating new, authentic visual stories that can contribute to the promotion of Kerala as a cultural tourism destination.