MUMBAI: The sixth Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFES) kicked off at the Jnana Jyothi Auditorium at the Central college campus recently. The festival started with a melodious rendition of Saraswati Vandana by Poornima Kulkarni followed by a cultural dance performance.
The event was inaugurated by Karnataka chief minister Siddaramiah and renowned cine actor, Kamal Haasan and was presided over by minister of State for food and civil supplies Dinesh Gundu Rao. The chief guests of the event were home minister K.J. George and minister of state for Kannada and Culture Umashree.
The guest of honour for the event were Iranian cine director, Pouran Derakhshandeh and the festival director of Hof Film festival, Germany Heinz Georg Badewitz. Other guests witnessed at the event included P.C. Mohan (Bangalore Central MP), B.S. Satyanarayana (Mayor, BBMP), H.D. Gangaraju (President of Karnataka Film and chamber of commerce) and renowned film actor, Sudeep.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, while wishing the film festival a grand success, also congratulated the people who made it possible for an attractive week-long screening of international films.
At the event CM of Karnataka Siddaramiah, welcomed all the delegates saying, “It is a privilege to be a part of such a grand event.” He further asked everyone present to “rejoice relax and remember the film festival,” and was pleased to see such a huge crowd. AT the event Kamal Haasan remembered his early days of being a part of cinema saying that he used to travel all the way from Madras to this city and watch movies at ‘Baal Bhavan’.
The festival that opened with the film A long and Happy Life on 27 December will be on till 2 January and the films to be screened will be divided in to different sections as Cinema of the World; Asian Cinema; Chitrabharathi (Indian Cinema); Kannada cinema; Retrospectives; Country Focus; NETPAC award winners;
FIPRESCI award winner; and Special genre: Train films.
