BIFFES set to roll from March 3

The 13th edition of the Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFES) will be held from March 3 to 10, the organisers announced in a press conference here on Tuesday. The annual event wasn’t held last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The latest edition will be held in a hybrid format (offline and online). Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will inaugurate the festival at the GKVK auditorium on March 3, Sunil Kumar Puranik, chairman of the Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy, told reporters. The three venues are: PVR Cinemas at Orion Mall, Suchitra Cine Academy, and Dr Rajkumar Bhavana (Kalavidara Sangha).

A total of 200 films from 55 countries under different categories will be screened across three venues in the city. Selections from 2020 and 2021 will be considered at the festival. “As such, there is no theme this year but there will be films in line with the ‘Azadi Ki Amrit Mahotsav’, a government initiative to celebrate 75 years of Indian independence,” Puranik told DH. The event is also set to celebrate 50 years of Tulu cinema.

Honour

BIFFES also received accreditation from the International Federation of Film Producers Association (FIAPF). “Our festival is the fifth in India to receive the honour after IFFI (Goa), MAMI (Mumbai), Kolkata Film Festival and IFFK (Kerala). The recognition is given based on the selection of films and conducting of the event,” said Puranik.

The organisers have zeroed in on a big Kannada star as one of the chief guests for the inauguration. “We are planning to invite big names from other industries as well. The official announcement will be made soon,” said Puranik.

The closing ceremony will be held on March 10 at the Tata Auditorium in the Indian Institute of Science (IISC).

Online platform

A set of films will be screened online. The organisers will launch a platform that can be downloaded as an app or accessed online and on television.

Other highlights: A retrospective on veteran actor Bharathi Vishnuvardhan and tributes to late actors Puneeth Rajkumar and Sanchari Vijay.

Registration: Rs 800 for the general public and Rs 400 for students, film society members and people from the industry. Registration begins from today and is likely to be closed on Feb 27. Book your passes at www.biffes.in.

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