Plans on to take Biffes to different parts of city for film aficionados

If all goes well, movies will be screened in prominent localities of the city in the coming days as part of the Bengaluru International Film Festival (Biffes) for the benefit of film aficionados.

Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy (KCA) chairperson S V Rajendra Singh Babu on Saturday told DH, “We will send a proposal to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah soon to screen films in Koramangala and Jayanagar to begin with, by roping in suitable theatres. This way, people will have more choices and we will get more viewers. Since 2016, we have been holding the Biffes only at Orion Mall in Rajajinagar.” Babu said that since last two years, the response to the film festival organised by KCA with the support of Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce had been overwhelming mainly due to the ambience of the venue and good public transport and parking facilities.

“The movies were earlier being screened at Badami House at Hudson Circle, Information Department on Infantry Road among other venues. The sound quality and venues were not up to mark,” he added.

KCA also plans to propose to the chief minister to hold film festivals every two months in Bengaluru and at Kalaburagi, Shivamogga, Belagavi and Mangaluru from next year onwards. Popular Kannada movies such as ‘U Turn’ and ‘Dodmane Hudga’ were screened on Saturday. Long queues were seen outside screening venues to watch the Kannada films. Vijay Kumar, an IT professional, said he skipped work just to watch the critically acclaimed flick ‘U Turn’. “I had heard rave reviews of this movie from my friends and in media. When I learnt that this movie would be screened here, I was eager to watch it,” he said.

A stall displaying and selling DVDs of old and new Kannada films, audio CDs of Kannada film songs and biographies of popular Kannada actors was one of the major attractions at the film festival. Nagaraju K N, manager of ‘Total Kannada’ that had set up the stall said, “DVDs of ‘Ghatashraddha’ and ‘Samskara’ directed by Pattabhirama Reddy and books on the late Dr Rajkumar are in great demand.”
DH News Service

The Road to Mandalay: 9.50 am
Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu: 2.20 pm
Kiragoorina Gayyaligalu: 5.30 pm
Children of the Mountain: 6.15 pm
Pao’s Story: 8.30 pm
(For the complete schedule, visit http://biffes.in/schedule-2017/ )