From today and the week ahead, as namma Bengalooru turns itself cultural host to creme de la creme of cinema, nearly 125 carefully culled and curated films from 45 countries unspool in City as 2nd Biffes — Bengalooru International Film Festival, flags off formally at the Chowdaiah Memorial Hall. Governor Rameshwar Thakur will light the lamp signalling commencement of film fiesta in the presence of celebrated director Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Mungaru Male hero Ganesh, actor-director Ramesh Arvind, Jayamala and Tara in attendance lending a touch of glitz and glamour.

While Bangladesh director Golam Rabanny Biplab’s IFFI 2007 Silver Lotus Award winner On the Wings of Dreams, revolving around a pedlar of fake medicine spotlighting on how economic forces affect even most modest of villagers, lifts the curtains, all roads from will then lead to Vision Cinema Complex K H (Double) Road, stone’s throw from BMTC, Shantinagar.

From Friday through Thursday next, Vision Cinema will be the hub of activity with all things cinema besides K H Patil Auditorium also on K H Road where film after film will light up screens wowing audience with soulful, scintillaging sagas to reflect and talk shop.

Here’s run in on films of first three days you can catch this weekend. There’s Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s much discussed latest ouvre Naalu Pennungal kicking-off Chitrabharati (Indian Panorama) contingent with Devan Nair’s Atheetham and Kannada films Ramdas Naidu’s Moggina Jade and B S Lingadevaru’s Kada Beladingalu.

In Country Focus on Hungary Peter Gardos Porcelain Doll, Gyorgy Palfi’s Hukkle, Zoltan Kamondi’s Temptations and Benedek Fliegauf’s Dealer. Films of World bouquet comprising Joanna Krauze’s Saviour’s Square, Sven Taddicken’s Emma’s Bliss, Jan Jakub Kolski’s Jasminum, Stefan Faldbakken’s Uro, Bahman Ghobadi’s Turtles Can Fly, Hany Abi Assad’s Paradise Now, Gao Fend’s Beautiful Homeland, Zhuang Tuxin’s Teeth of Love, with Vivre Ensemble (Living Together) quintet films. Country Focus on South Africa with Darrell Roodt’s Yesterday and Sarafina and Contemporary Russian Cinema featuring Pavel Lungin’s The Island, Vladimir Zajkin’s The Listener, Alla Surikova’s You’ll Not Leave Me, besides other sections such as Study of Director: Asoka Hundagama’s Flying With One Wing and A Letter of Fire, Julio Medem’s Retro containing Cows, Red Squirrel and Earth  and Mizoguchi Kenji’s Retro with The Story of the Late Chrysanthemums, Woman of Rumor, and Osaka Elegy. The Vivre Ensemble (Living Together): Valerie Minetto’s Looking for Cheyenne, Philippe Faucon’s Samia, Pierre Joliver’s Zim & Co, Eric Guirado’s When You Come Down from Heaven. In all the week witnesses 45 films on showcase at three venues. Visit the venue, pick up the brochures and schedules and binge on.