From women's issues to socio-political issues, gender sensitivity and empowerment, and from family issues to thrillers, women film makers are dominating the 10th edition of Biffes.
The line-up features all genres of cinema from different countries with different thematic expressions, and make for an interesting medley and collage that provide audiences a worth-while watch for independent study, especially for students of cinema and women in particular.
BIFFes officials said over 30% of the films being screened in this festival are by women directors. Besides that, women actors, and films about women made by men, retrospectives, and biopics on women are drawing cine buffs to the screens.
Roya Sadat's A letter to the President brings focus on the harsh realities of the status of women in Afghanistan while Vivian Qu's Angels wear white revolves around the sexual exploitation of two school girls.
Kaouther Ben Haniá Beauty & the dogs is a socio-political exploration of a Tunisian girl student who has to tackle the State police; Rayahanna Obermeyer's I still hide to smoke puts the spotlight on the condition of women in a patriarchal society in a predominantly Muslim country. Laura Mora Ortega's Killing Jesus is fight of a young girl student against the country's (Columbia) corrupt social system, and Rouzia Hassanova's Radiogram is a political testament about the oppressive regime of country (Bulgaria) in 1971.
Ana Urushadze's Scary mother is a powerful portrayal of a woman writer, and Petra Biodina Volpe's The divine order tackles the subjugation of women and stifling of their dreams by the oppressive patriarchal system.
Besides these, film personalities such as Parvathamma Rajkumar, Krishna Kumari and B.V. Radha figure in the ‘Homage’ section.
In a seminar on gender sensitivity, Ananth Mahadevan, maker of Dr. Rukmabai, and Choodi Shivaram, director of At the Altar of India's Freedom – INA Veterans of Malaysia, will share their experiences.
