N. Vidyashankar, who is shouldering the responsibility of Artistic Director for the Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFes) for the second consecutive year, told The Hindu what film buffs can expect this year.
Excerpts from an interview:
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There is increasing visibility for BIFFes. It received over 900 entries within a matter of a fortnight of its announcement. This also means having greater accountability towards cine goers in setting higher benchmark in selection of films and their presentation.
What is the central focus of the festival?
Despite the overbearing nature of socio-political conflicts in the global arena, the essence of life pervading through mundane, day-to-day living, articulated in a no-frills format, is at the centre of focus in this festival.
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What is the unique feature of the eighth edition?
A new section featuring documentary films has been started to accommodate the emerging interest in this genre of socially relevant documentation of reality. The discourse on free speech and expression and challenges to them will also gain focus.
Do you think Biffes has matured in the past seven years?
The maturity of a film festival is measured by its capability to enhance the understanding of the local film fraternity on the one hand and the enrichment of experiences to the audience on the other. There is a basic generic film festival format, which has different sections. But addition of new genres of cinema into its format and new experimentations and styles is a real challenge for film programmers. In that context, BIFFes has matured to a considerable extent.
Film festival shares democratic space where technology, economics, culture and art coalesce
– N. Vidyashankar, Artistic Director, BIFFes