Malayalam Cinema

Malayalam cinema is the Indian film industry based in Kerala, India, dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Malayalam language.

At first (beginning in the 1920s), the Malayalam film industry was based in Trivandrum. Although the film industry started to develop and flourish only by the late-1940s. Later, the industry shifted to Chennai (formerly Madras), which then was the capital of the South Indian film industry. By the end of 1980s, the Malayalam film industry returned and established itself in Kerala. Several media sources describe Kochi as the hub of the film industry, while the Kerala government publications and government sponsored Kinfra organization states Thiruvananthapuram is the centre.

The first 3D film produced in India, My Dear Kuttichathan (1984), was made in Malayalam. The first Cinemascope film produced in Malayalam was Thacholi Ambu (1978). The world's first film with just one actor in the star cast was the Malayalam film The Guard (2001).

Rajiv Anchal's Guru (1997) and Salim Ahamed's Adaminte Makan Abu (2011) are the only Malayalam films to be sent by India as its official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the Academy Awards. Films such as Piravi, Swaham, Marana Simhasanam, Chemmeen, Mathilukal and Vanaprastham were also screened and won awards at several international film festivals.