The 16th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) has been inaugurated in Thiruvananthapuram by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in a glittering function on Friday. Om Puri, Jaya Bachan and a host of other eminent film personalities graced the occasion. One ninety six films from 65 countries will be screened during the eight-day celluloid extravaganza.Every year, like the international film festival of India in Goa, film lovers look forward to Thiruvanathapuram for IIFK to enjoy classic movies from around the world. In different categories, more than Rs 25 lakh are offered as prize money. The competition section of the festival is restricted to films from Asia, Africa and Latin America. About 10,000 delegates are attending the festival, including 1,300 women. Fifty eminent film personalities from across the globe are attending the festival being screened in 10 theaters of God's Own country's capital. Chinese love story ‘Under the Hawthorn Tree’ was the opening movie of the festival.