BIFFes 2019: What can BIFFes do better?

The 11th edition of Bengaluru International Film Festival which saw a grand opening at Vidhana Soudha on 21st February came to a close on 28th February. As with past years, there was chaos all through the festival, with irate moviegoers complaining about lack of organisation and coordination all through the festival.

What can BIFFes do better? We spoke to several attendees and BIFFes loyalists who made the following suggestions. Here’s hoping BIFFes takes note.

Entry/Exit: The entry and exit system at the PVR cinemas, where the festival is hosted is a big hassle. The exit door at the theatre leads one out of the PVR cinemas on the fourth floor, and if the audience wants to watch the next scheduled movie, they should walk into the PVR premises which is a level down on the third floor and undergo multiple security checks all over again. It is common at film festivals that film-buffs would love to watch multiple films a days, but this system hinders their spirit.

Tie up with cab aggregators: With better-rated films being screened in the late evening, the fear of not getting suitable transport back home deters many movie-lovers from staying for the last show. Gayatri, an avid moviegoer recommends BIFFes to tie up with cab-aggregators or arrange transport facilities after late evening shows, particularly for senior citizens.

Screenings: Delayed screenings and last minute cancellations were a major turn-off for cine-enthusiasts. As in case of the film ‘Bomb: A love story,” the film’s screening was cancelled without any prior notice. The audience, who were standing in the queue for more than 30 minutes had to watch another movie and were disappointed. BIFFes should reconsider ad-hoc changes to its schedule, which has been a recurring sore point with every edition of the festival.

Adding more venues: BIFFes is held at PVR cinemas, Orion Mall which is in north Bengaluru. Many cine-goers from other parts of the city refrain from attending the festival considering the distance. So, it would be a great relief for movie-buffs, if BIFFes can be organised at multiple venues in other parts of the city.

Facilities for Senior Citizens: The festival started with special entries and dedicated queues for senior citizens to screens for the first 5 days, but this was discontinued on the last two days for reasons unknown. Senior citizens who were not allowed to enter the screens directly for the last couple of days got into a tussle with the student volunteers who blocked them from entering the screens. Perhaps there can be a rule of entry for senior citizens first. This could also be addressed if BIFFes expands to other venues in the city.

We hope team BIFFes will take these suggestions for upcoming editions. See you all at the next BIFFes!