Angry delegate creates ruckus at BIFFES 2020

The screening of filmmaker Geetanjali Rao’s animated film ‘Bombay Rose’ was slightly delayed at the 12th Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFES) by a delegate, who was angry about the fact that he was not let in soon enough.

Rao was present at the screening of the film, which had won the Silver Hugo award at the Chicago film festival.

Claiming that 50 seats were available, the delegate complained that the organisers were not letting five people. However, only a handful of seats were available.

BIFFES volunteers cited that they did not let in all the people together to avoid congestion. As pe the procedure, after a large number of people are allowed to enter, other delegates are allowed to move ahead in smaller batches. The angry delegate happened to be in one of the smaller batches.

The issue did not end after the organisers apologised to the man as he kept bringing up the issue every few minutes.

Subsequently, the audience, intervened and tried to calm him down.

When everything seemed to have subsided, BIFFES artistic director N Vidyashankar introduced the director of the film.

But her speech was interrupted by the man as he raised the issue again. Eventually things got sorted to some extent, and Geethanjali Rao, with biting irony, asked the angry delegate for permission before continuing her speech.