Biffes: Kannada arthouse a big draw this year

The 11th Bangalore Film Festival has sprung a surprise: Kannada arthouse cinema, which always had a limited audience, is a big, big draw this year.

The festival opened on February 22, and halls screening arthouse cinema are running full. Hundreds of movie buffs are going back disappointed. The 11th edition of the festival is being held at PVR, Orion Mall.

“There has been a big audience for Kannada art movies in the last two years. The crowd is definitely bigger this year,” says N Vidyashankar, artistic director, BIFFes.

Arthouse films delve into contemporary problems, and so their audiences are growing, he reckons.

Each film is screened twice, once at Orion mall and a second time at the Kalavidara Sangha hall in Chamarajpet.

“I couldn’t believe the tremendous response. In fact, I have requested the organisers to screen my film Anuttara one more time,” Nidasale M Puttaswamaiah, producer, says.

Kannada film makers should understand the pulse of the audiences and make sensitive films, he told DH.

Vidyashankar says BIFFes is the only place where audiences can catch offbeat films, which is why the crowds are so big.

As always, films in the Kannada popular entertainment category are also getting a huge response.

“We are unable to control the crowds,” says a volunteer. “Hundreds of people return disappointed.”

V K Prakash, Malayalam film maker and member of the jury in Kannada cinema competition, says, “It is amazing to see such big crowds for films people have already watched at the cinemas.”