Eight days. More than 120 films, many from the masters. Brace yourselves for a strikingly distinct movie-watching experience. Suchitra Cinema and Cultural Academy, in association with the State Government, will bring an array of quality films from across the world, in the second edition of the Bengalooru International Film Festival.

The festival — from January 3 to 10, 2008 — will have films screened at three venues:
Vision Cinemas on KH Road, KH Patil Auditorium in the Karnataka Urban Co-operative Banks Federation on KH Road and Suchitra Auditorium, 9th Main Road, Banashankari 2nd Stage.

Eminent filmmaker and festival director Girish Kasaravalli said on Tuesday that the festival would promote Bangalore as a film-lovers’ destination.

“The idea, along with showcasing the best of world cinema, is to promote films of Karnataka. Film festivals held in Thiruvananthapuram, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad are following this model as well,” he said.

Oscar winner

The Lives of Others (Germany), winner of the 2007 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, will lead the pack, along with Pouran Derakhshandeh’s Eternal Children (Iran), Bahman Ghobadi’s Turtles Can Fly (Iran), Istvan Gaal’s The Falcons (Hungary) and Nyugen Vo-Minh’s The Buffalo Boy (Vietnam). Retrospectives and a documentary film section are the other highlights.

Kannada presence

The 12-film Indian Panorama will feature three Kannada films: K Shivarudriah’s Daatu, B S Lingadevaru’s Kada Beladingalu and P R Ramdas Naidu’s Moggina Jade. Five films edited by Suresh Urs will also be showcased.

An LCD exhibition, comprising clips from national award-winning Kannada films will be beamed.

A warm-up seminar on The Changing Trends in Commercial Cinema (December 15) and a script-writing workshop (December 28-30) are other features. Delegate fee for the festival will be Rs 500 (Rs 300 for film society members and film institutes/media students). Passes will be issued from December 20 at the Suchitra Film Society.
Call 26711785 for further details on the Bangalore International Film Fest.


BANGALORE, IN FOCUS

I M Vittalamurthy, Secretary, Department of Kannada and Culture, said the State is promoting Bangalore as a film festival destination, on the lines of Kolkata and Thiruvananthapuram. Observing that the International Film Festival of India in Goa was more about “beer parlours and bonhomie” than films, he said, “We are pushing Bangalore’s case with the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. We will make a proposal towards having a festival here, organised by the Directorate of Film Festivals, and supported by the State Government.”