As many as 160 films, both national and international, from more than 50 countries will be screened at the Bangalore International Film Festival (BIFFES) scheduled to
commence here on December 20.

The week-long festival has been divided into 12 sections, including one on Kannada cinema. Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy Chairperson and President of BIFFES Committee Tara Anuradha said on Tuesday that nine Kannada films and 11 Indian films that will enter the Indian Cinema Competition - Chitrabharati, will be finalised after November 30.

Five anti-war films will be screened as part of Special Genre category – The English Patient, The City of Life, Life is Beautiful, Coming Home and Napola.

The highlights of the festival are some lesser known works of Akira Kurasawa like ‘Scandal’ and ‘The Idiot.’

This apart, film buffs can look forward to works of Chan-Wook Park (South Korea), Fatih Akin (Germany), Juliette Binoche (French Actor), Girish Kasaravalli (India, Kannada), Jhanu Barua (India, Assam), Henri Georges Clouzot. The festival will begin with the screening of the film ‘Kauwboy’ (Netherlands), directed by Boudewijn Koole.

The films will be shown at seven screens – Inox, Garuda Mall (3 screens); Lido Fame (2 screens); Sulochana, Information Department (one screen); and Priyadarshini, Badami House (one screen).

The event will also showcase 14 films to mark 100 years of Indian cinema. The other events planned as part of the festival  include – master classes on editing by Andrew Bird from Germany, public screenings at Freedom Park (at 6 pm everyday), and an exclusive presentation from Goethe-Institut Regional Film Archives (latest German films).

Registration for availing entry to the film screenings will commence from December 1 at four centres – Suchitra Film Society, Badami House, Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce and Information department. Registration fee for public is Rs 500 (for the entire festival); and Rs 100 for students, film society members and film industry. Registration can also be made online – www.biffes.com. For details, contact – 080-22133410, 080-22133441.