The fifth edition of Bangalore International Film Festival (BIFFES 5) will be on a smaller scale compared to the previous years due to the reduced budgetary provision owing to severe drought in certain parts of the state.
The festival, slated to be held during December 20 to 27, is being organised by the Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy for the state government and is supported by Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce.
BIFFES 5 will screen 140 films selected from 50 countries for which a budget of Rs 2 crore has been sanctioned by the government. The films, selected by an expert committee, will be showed in five screens which will consist of different sections like - Cinema of the World, Asian Cinema, Kannada Cinema and Retrospectives.
Tara, chairperson of the Karanataka Chalanachitra Academy, on Saturday, said, “When we have to compete at international level, we need to have more time and money. But we got approval from the government in August end. So we have started the whole process from the first week of September. However, we will try to come out with the best films from across the world with the stipulated time and the budget that has been sanctioned for the festival.”
The competition section will only feature Indian cinema this year as it is the centenary year of the Indian cinema.
“We will try to bring in more quality films. Unlike last year, this time we will screeb them only at Lido as it is located in the heart of the city. We will also have some films screened at Vartha Bhavan,” she added.
There will also be a photo exhibition and display of equipment like lights, camera which were and are used in making Kannada cinema from the past 78 years. “The whole industry is coming together to make it a grand event,” she noted.
The festival will also include seminars, master classes for students on different aspects of cinema and a forum for studying the growth of Indian cinema to mark the celebration of its centenary year. “BIFFES 5 is an exchange of different cultures and we want to make it a big festival for common people,” said Tara.