The basket was rich and diverse as the Bengalooru International Film Festival 2008 took off on full steam on Friday. The crowd turnout was impressive at the major venues — Vision Cinemas and K H Patil Auditorium on K H Road — with the evening screenings hosting more viewers.

The Country Focus Hungary category featured Peter Gardos’ Porcelain Doll, a three-story tale adapted from an Ervin Lazar work. Bangladeshi filmmaker Golam Biplob Rabbany’s acclaimed On the Wings of Dreams opened to a good response.

Kannada cinema made its presence felt on the first day with Ramdas Naidu’s Moggina Jade, a film pegged to two generations with their ethos pitted against each other.

Looking for Cheyenne, a bitter-sweet French film that traces love and politics of capitalism, was one interesting feature on day one. The Valerie Minetto-directed film was screened as part of the Vivre Ensemble! (Living Together) package.

BIFFES 2008, that’s organised by the Suchitra Cinema and Cultural Academy, in association with the State Government, also featured acclaimed Bangladeshi film On the wings of Dreams, directed by Golam Biplob Rabanny, on Friday.

The main venues at Vision Cinema were done up with posters and quotes from the masters of cinema, adding to the festival mood. Youngsters, including film and communication students, were present in good numbers through the day. The organisers have also put up The Hut, a platform for filmmakers to interact with the viewers.

At Vision Cinemas, the DVD show on clips from award-winning Kannada films didn’t have many viewers coming in. The organisers felt that with the weekend on, the numbers would rise considerably.

EVENTS TODAY
*Inauguration of Homage Section by Bhaktavatasala, former president of Film Federation of India, The Hut, Vision Cinemas, K H Road, 11.30 am.

*Inauguration of Focus on Cinema Workshop by filmmaker Girish Karnad, Audi-III, Vision Cinemas, K H Road, 3 pm.

*Release of book on M R Vittal, by Parvathamma Raj Kumar, The Hut, Vision Cinemas, K H Road, 4.30 pm.