Under the leadership of T. K. Ramakrishnan, The Minister for Cultural Affairs appointed Shaji N. Karun as its first chairman.

In August 2024, Ranjith, the then-chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, resigned following a sexual harassment allegation made by Bengali film actress Sreelekha Mitra.

Despite the subsequent release of the Hema Committee report, Renjith has not publicly admitted to nor apologised for the allegations.

The awardees are decided by an independent jury formed by the academy and the Department of Cultural Affairs, Govt.

[8] The IDSFFK (International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala) is an annual documentary and short film festival conducted by Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, at the state capital Thiruvananthapuram.