Bangalore all set for the 3rd International Film Festival.
Melisha Noronha
January 14, 2009
The stage is all set for the much-awaited 3rd Bengalooru International Film Festival 2009 to be held between January 15 – 22, 2009 at four venues across the city of Bangalore.
The Festival organised by Suchitra Film Society in collaboration with the Government of Karnataka and the Kannada film industry will be inaugurated by Chief Minister, Dr. B. S. Yeddyurappa at the Chowdaiah Memorial Hall on January 15, at 5 pm.
The venues for the festival are Vision Cinemas complex and K H Patil Auditorium on Kengal Hanumanthaiya Road, Badami House in N R Square and Suchitra Auditorium in Banashankari 2nd Stage. The event will feature 140 films drawn from 35 countries. Various sections like cinema of the world retrospectives, tributes, world classics, Chitra Bharati, a special children's section and other documentaries will be screened with special focus on films from Italy and Norway. A brand new American film "Seven Pounds" which is due for commercial release in India only on January 30, 2009 will be premiered and this will be the opening film of the Festival.
The Festival will be the platform to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Kannada cinema. Apart from the screening of 28 landmark Kannada films, a comprehensive photo exhibition on the birth and growth of Kannada cinema, compiled by the Information Department of the Government of Karnataka, is also being organized. A 150-minute video presentation on the evolution of Kannada film music, anchored by leading music director, Hamsalekha is also being produced specially for the occasion.
The Golden Jubilee of the Federation of Film Societies of India and Diamond Jubilee of the International Federation of Film Societies will also be celebrated during the Festival with the screening of eight contemporary Italian films. Adding value to the event is the four- day Animation Workshop organized by animation experts from ABAI and ANTS.
Master Kishen of the “Care of Footpath” fame will inaugurate the Children’s Section of the Festival at the Suchitra Auditorium. Six children films will be screened for school children followed by group discussions. However the screenings of two Kannada films 'Ekalavya’ and 'Naanu Gandhi’ on January 18, 2009 (Sunday) are open to the public.
The film festival will witness popular and award winning films such as Gulabi Talkies(Kannada), Gubbachigalu (Kannada), Atayalangal (Malayalam), Mahasatta (Marathi), L'Orchestra di Piazza (Italian), Hiroshima, My Love Guermica (French), The Speed of Light (Italian), My brother’s Summer (Italian), Gone with the Woman (Norwegian), Hide and Seek (Isreal), Shadows in Paradise (Finland), The Chorus (France), Second Half (Norwegian) among many others.
Gulabi Talkies
"The Festival would provide audiences with abundant opportunities to discover today's most innovative films" said noted film director Girish Kasaravalli who is also the festival director at press con. "The broad range of Cinematic expression this year is in various films made by eminent film makers and the issues they explore. The creative and the passion of this year's film makers prove that film making is still alive throughout the world", he added.
Noted personalities to be part of the 3rd Bengalooru International Film Festival 2009 are noted singer and music director, C. Aswath, former President of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce, Mr. K. V. Gupta, actor, director and environmentalist Suresh Heblikar, actor and director Ramesh Arvind, celebrated cinematographer V K Murthy and Artistic Director of the Festival and Vice-President of Federation of Film Societies of India H N Narahari Rao. Others taking part in the event are
This multidimensional festival will represent the cream of world cinema in all genres and is sure to satisfy the intellectual and artistic hunger of the delegates. Passes are available at both the venues for Rs. 500/- for the entire Festival, while students of journalism and communication can avail the same for a concessional rate of Rs. 300/-.
Melisha Noronha - Archives: