The Bangalore International Film Festival (Biffes) returns to Bangalore after 19 long years in mid-December. The second edition to be conducted by the State Government, and fourth to be held till date, promises film aficionados a well-curated collection of cinema.
Caught in the throes of last-minute preparations, H.N. Narahari Rao, artistic director of the festival, and the man responsible for conceptualising the seven-day festival, spoke to The Hindu about what the festival offers, its larger objectives and why he feels film festivals continue to be relevant in an age when the best movies are no more than a click away. “Imagine you want to read a book, and enter a library where there are two lakh titles. How would you know which book you must read? You need somebody to tell you what is interesting, somebody who can curate a list that you can relate to; that's what a film festival does. There are lakhs of films online, but film festivals are important because they present you with a curated selection of movies that represent the best of cinema,” he explains. He adds nothing beats the experience of sitting in a dark room with like-minded people, and enjoying a film that's been selected for you.
Content with the list of films which would be made public in a week or so, Mr. Rao says that Biffes will feature both competition and non-competition sections. The focus has been on putting together a selection that will appeal to a wide cross-section of society, he says. “Some like thrillers, others like comedy, and some others want to watch family drama. The objective while putting together a selection is to ensure there's something in this for everybody,” he says, adding that a conscious part of the festival's agenda is to encourage young people to attend. The delegate passes cost only Rs. 100 for students (and Rs. 500 for others). “We want to create a culture of cinema watching, and an appreciation for world cinema among the youth,” he emphasises.
Some of the rare films that will be screened include a silent film from the 1930s ( Light of Asia ), Achhut Kanya from Bombay Talkies, Meera which had singer M.S. Subbulakshmi acting, and a film on classical dance forms made by Uday Shankar. “For many of these films, we went to the national archives, and digitised the old reels. It was a lot of hard work.”
