The tenth edition of Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFes) has become a carnival for the celebration of the eight-decade-old Kannada film industry.
Reservation , directed by Nikhil Manjoo, which bagged the Rajat Kamal for the best Kannada film, and T.S. Nagabharana’s Allama , recipient of best make-up and best music direction national award, are among the 12 films in the competition section in the Kannada cinema category.
Beti (which dispels the myth that gender discrimination has religious sanction and cultural intolerance) by P. Sheshadri, Dr. Sukanya (about female foeticide) by Srinath Vasistha, March 22 (on water conversation) by Koodlu Ramakrishna, Mooka Hakki (on cow slaughter) by N. Manjunath, Mookanayaka (which discusses relationship between art and social life) by Baraguru Ramachandrappa, Moodalaseemeyali (on patriachy) by Shivarudraiah, Neeru Tandavaru (on water and caste system) by Asif Kshatriya and Nemodaya Boolya (a Tulu film set in a village nearly two centuries ago) by Gangadhara Kirodian are competing for the coveted prize.
In a further proof of the celebration of Kannada films, renowned film maker N. Lakshminarayana, who was influenced by directors De Sica and Satyajit Ray, is being honoured with the screening of Bettada Huvu , Abachurina Post Office , Naandi and Uyyale . These movies are milestones in Kannada film and art cinema. Naandi , for instance, was the first ever Kannada film to be screened in an international film festival.
Besides these films, Bhakta Kanakadasa , Mithileya Seetheyaru , Edakallu Guddadamele , Avale Nanna Hendti , Chigurida Kanasu and Vijayanagarada Veeraputra are being screened in the homage section to pay tributes to departed artistes Krishna Kumari, B.V. Radha, Edakallu Chandru, Kashinath, Parvathamma Rajkumar and R.N. Sudarshan.
In its attempt to remember classics, BIFFes has chosen Samskara by Pattabhirama Reddy. The path-breaking film is supposed to have pioneered the parallel cinema movement in Kannada. In 50th year of making Samskara , Tom Cowan, the renowned cinematographer from Australia who worked for this film, shares his experience.
Besides these, mainstream Kannada films are being screened in the popular entertainment section.
Tulu film in Asian section
Paddayi , a Tulu film by national award winning director Abhaya Simha, is competing in the Asian Section. This is one among the Indian language contingent including Paathi (The half) by debutant Chandran Narikkod, which arrests the attention with its straightforward presentation, and Ashwathama by Pushpendra Singh, which explores undertones of superstition. Paddayi is a modern day adaptation of the epic drama Macbeth by Shakespeare.
Similarly, Hebbettu Ramakka by N.R. Nanjunde Gowda is the only Kannada film figuring in the Indian cinema section. The film deals with a village woman standing up to the patriarchy and caste systems of her village.
