MYSURU: The state government’s decision to drop screening of movies as part of the Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFes) in Mysuru citing the election code of conduct, has disappointed movie buffs here.
Bengaluru and Mysuru had jointly hosted the international film festival in the past two years and BIFFes had screened more than 200 movies in 11 screens in Bengaluru and 60 movies in four screens in Mysuru. The film event had given a fillip to tourism and cultural activities here as Mysuru also hosts Dasara film festival and Bahuroopi national theatre festival.
Cinema Samaya started by Mysuru Film Society had encouraged the cinema-going audience in the city to attend BIFFes and the valedictory function was held in front of the illuminated Mysuru Palace last year.
There were many other reasons behind the move including poor response, sources said. Claiming that there was a good response to BIFFes in Mysuru as many had developed a passion for world cinema, Mysuru Film Society founder Manu said it’s a bad news. “How can Mysoreans go all the way to Bengaulru to watch world cinemas when traffic congestion has hit mobility badly,” he asked.
Cinema lover and writer Mudukrishna said around 500 registrations are a good number for 13 lakh population in Mysuru when it is around 1,000 in Bengaluru with 1.5 crore population. He said they are ready to extend all support and work voluntarily to screen movies in four screens in Mysuru. “When the time has come for the government to extend the film festival to other districts, it is unfornuate that it stopped the film screening in Mysuru,” he said.
A few also presented a memorandum to CM Siddaramaiah and appealed to him to continue BIFFes in Mysuru that has a sizeable number of students, film studios and movie shooting locations. They are putting pressure on District Minister H C Mahadevappa and Kannada activist P Mallesh is keen on taking up the issue with Siddaramaiah.
“The government had organised winter festival to promote tourism on the one side, but it drops the screening of movies in Mysuru after releasing funds and booking cinema halls on the other side,” they said. Noted director and Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy chairman S V Rajendra Singh Babu said they are ready to screen movies if CM Siddaramaiah, organising secreatry of BIFFes, gives his nod.
Work on film city yet to start in Mysuru
The government that has decided to set up a film city allotting 116 acres near Hemmavu village is yet to start its work.The government had transferred the land of the Information Department to the Tourism Department that should invite tenders on public - private partnership (PPP) model to take up the project with all basic facilities. Though Siddaramaiah was keen on laying the foundation stone to film city by mid-February, the department is yet to invite tenders to start the project.