The Bengaluru International film Festival (BIFFES) is back, with 179 films – 20 of them in Kannada – to be screened across four venues from December 15-22. This will be the fourth edition of the event organised jointly by the Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy and Karnataka Government's Information department.

“The organisers make it a point to add a new theme every year and we've zeroed in on ‘political cinema' for this festival,” Mr H.N. Narahari Rao, artistic director of the festival, said at a press conference today.

The range of political films include ‘The Battle of Algiers', a 1966 war film based on occurrences during the Algerian War, considered an important commentary on urban guerilla warfare, ‘Z', a movie that talks about oppression in Fascist governments, ‘Air India 182', a film based on the crash of Kanishka aircraft, and ‘Thanneer Thanneer', a Tamil movie which deals with issues of political corruption and water scarcity.

“The Chief Minister, Mr D.V. Sadananda Gowda, will inaugurate the function and veteran actors Anant Nag and Om Puri will be the Guests of Honour,” Mr T.S Nagabharana, Festival Director and Chairman, Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy, said. “The Chief Minister will inaugurate the auditorium at the Information Department premises and this will be one of the venues of the festival,” he added.

Screening of films apart, the festival will also have seminars and master-classes on issues like the development and use of sound in cinema, animation in cinema today, and digital cinema.

The BIFFES will also have a tribute to veteran actor Dev Anand, but the BIFFES team is yet to decide what exactly would be done as a tribute.

sushma.un@thehindu.co.in

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