Nearly 200 films from around 50 countries will be chosen for the 10th edition of the Bengaluru International Film Festival (Biffes), which will be held from February 22 to March 1 in Bengaluru and Mysuru.
Announcing this here on Monday, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the festival, the theme of which is “human rights and social justice”, will see participation from filmmakers, directors and artistes from across the globe and the country.
The festival is being organised on behalf of the State government by the Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy and the Department of Information and Public Relations. Both the inauguration and the valedictory function of the festival will be held in front of the Vidhana Soudha.
“The unique feature this year is that for the first time, a Lifetime Achievement Award will be given away. The recipient for the award, which carries a purse of ₹10 lakh, will be chosen by a special committee,” he said and added that the other awards will be Best Indian Film in Competition, Best Kannada Film in Competition, Best Asian Film, and Best amongst the popular entertainment cinema in Kannada.
The festival will also host various forums for academic interactions on filmmaking and film appreciation, such as seminars, workshops and master classes, for the film professionals, discerning audiences and students.
S.V. Rajendra Singh Babu, chairman of the Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy, said that Biffes has grown year on year. He said nearly 25 important foreign delegates attended the festival last year. Last year, the festival was held in Bengaluru and Mysuru and saw nearly 264 films from 45 countries being screened across 15 screens. Nearly 8,000 delegates attended the festival.
The film personalities present sought to know the status of the film city being established by the State government at Himmavu, located less than 20 km from Mysuru, off National Highway 212.
Mr. Siddaramaiah directed the officials to ensure that the foundation stone is laid by the end of February by floating a short-term tender.
Earlier, Mr. Siddaramaiah released the revamped Biffes logo. Various film personalities such as Bharathi Vishnuvardhan, Doddanna, Rockline Venkatesh, Girish Kasaravalli, SaRa Govind and others were present.