The sixth edition of the Bangalore International Film Festival, organised by the Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy will begin this evening. The inaugural ceremony will be attended by actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan.

With just three months, and Rs. two crore to put together a selection of films that will please a cross-section of people who demand the best of cinema once a year, is no mean task. There are about 300 students already registered to attend the festival, and the total number of delegates expected is well over 3,500. More than 150 volunteers are helping put the show together.

H.N. Narahari Rao, artistic director of BIFFES 2013 says films have been carefully selected by two film education and critics associations — Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) and the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) — from international film festivals held in Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Toronto, Locarno, and others.

There are various categories that will helm together over 160 films from 52 countries. In terms of what we have to offer to the world, there’s a Kannada Cinema (Competition section) with popular films like Lucia and Jatta being featured. The Indian Cinema (Competition section) called Chitra Bharathi will feature films in Marathi, Bengali, Kashmiri, Mising and Malayalam. Then there’s a smorgasbord of Asian Cinema selected through the NETPAC Competition section.

The opening film is Iraq’s Bekas directed by Karzan Kader. Regular screenings will start Friday morning and will be on till January 2. The closing film, on January 2, 2014 is the Australian film The Rocket.

This year around, BIFFES is also introducing the audience award — you can cast your vote in a given form at any of the seven screens. There are about 300 students already registered to attend the festival, and the total number of delegates expected is well over 3,500. More than 150 volunteers are helping put the show together.

Screening venues are Fun Cinemas, Sigma Mall on Cunningham Road, Inox Lido, Lido Mall in Ulsoor, Sulochana, Dept of Information on Infantry Road and Priyadarshini, Badami House, opp BBMP HQ at NR Square.

For details and screening schedule check www.biffes.in

Reproduced from The Hindu