CM sanctions Rs 50 lac for B'lore Intnl Film Fest

The 3rd Bengalooru International Film Festival 2009 (BIFFES-2009) got off to a glittering start at an impressive inaugural function at Chowdiah Memorial Auditorium on Thursday. The star-studded guest list included inaugural guest Sri B S Yediyurappa, Chief Minister, Karnataka, Information Minister, Katta Subramanya Naidu, Jayaramaraje Urs, Secretary, Information, Kannada and Culture, R. Ashok, Transport Minister, Dr. Jaimala, President, Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce, A R Raju, Vice President, Film Federation of India and KCN Chandrasekhar, President, Karnataka Film Producers Association, and top Kannada stars Prakash Raj, Ramesh Aravind, Puneet Rajkumar and Sharmila Mandre.
Biffes 2009 organised by the Suchitra Cinema and Cultural Academy in collaboration with the state government, will go on till 22nd on six screens viz. VISion Cinemas, KH Patil Auditorium, Badami House and Suchitra Auditorium
The curtain raiser was followed by screening of German filmmaker Christian  Petzold's  'Yella' as against originally scheduled American film' Seven Pounds'
Biffes will have varied fare, including packages like Cinema of the world, films from Italy, Germany, Norway and Poland, works of masters like Wolman, French filmmaker Alain Resnais and Finnish filmmaker Aki Kaurismaki.
About 35 Kannada films will be screened in commemoration of the 75th year of Kannada film industry. Sri V.N. Subba Rao, Chairman of the Organising Committee demanded Rs.50 lakh from the government while they have given only 25 lakh this time
Award winning film maker Girish Kasaravalli called upon the Government to construct more complexes for holding such film festivals, like the Chitra Samuday Complex in Delhi, Kerala and Kolkata, while Jayamala requested for a State Academy.
In a befitting response, the Chief Minster readily agreed to make budgetary allocation of Rs 50 lakh (Rs 25 lakh previously) for holding film festivals and also set up a Cinema Academy as suggested.
He also lavished praise on AR Rahman who bagged the Golden Globe for original music in Danny Boyle's 'Slumdog Millionaire'.
Prakash Raj recalled his old memories of his days in Bangalore, when he had the opportunity to work with great directors, who he acknowledged, were an eternal source of inspiration. 
Prakash Raj turned emotional in his brief but well received speech, when he recalled that he used to roam the streets of Bangalore with nothing in his pocket, but gained a lot of invaluable experience in theatre and also learnt a lot by reading up Kannada literature. As a student of Abhinaya Kala Taranga, Prakash Raj made his foray into cinema, and says that we used to make more films rooted in Indian culture, like the Chinese and the Koreans, which would definitely appeal to a global audience.
Addressing the gathering, Arvind Ramesh said: "We are in worst of times and in the best of times, but it was during the great depression that Charles Chaplin made modern times, and brought the smiles back. This a great opportunity for people not only to see great movies but also to interact with great directors, Bangalore is not only a capital of Karnataka it should became a capital to whole of film making."

BIFFES 2009 DIARY:
Film Screenings at K H Patil Auditorium: show timings 9.30 am and 12 noon
17/01/2009: Deveer Dir. Kavitha Lankesh/2000 (Kan. Retro)
Artha Dir B. Suresha (Word to image)
18/01/2009 Amara Shilpi Jakanachari  Dir. B. S. Ranga/1964(Tribute to B. S. Ranga), Shankhanada  Dir. Umesha Kulkarn (Word to image)
19/01/2009: Avala antaranga
Dir. R N Jayagopal /1989 (Tribute to R N Jayagopal), Munnudi
Dir. P. Sheshadri (Word to image)
20/01/2009: Hosa neeru Dir. K V Jayaram /1986 (Tribute to K V Jayaram), Gowri Ganesha Dir. Phani Ramachandra(Kan. Retro)
21/01/2009: Sose tanda soubhagya
Dir. A. V. Sheshgiri Rao /1977 (Kan. Retro), Eradu Kanasu Dir. Dorai - Bhagawan (Kan. Retro)
22/01/2009: Singapuradalli Rajakulla  A Dwarakish Film /1978 (C. V. Rajendran) (Kan. Retro), Avasthe Dir. Krishna Masadi/199(Word to image)
Film Screenings at Badami House: show timings 4 pm and 6.30pm
17/01/2009: Surya
Dir. Dr. Baraguru  Ramachandrappa/1987 (Word to image), Janumada jodi
Dir. T. S. Nagabharana/199 (Word to image)
18/01/2009: Mathad mathadu Mallige  Dir. Nagathihalli Chandrashekhara/2007(Word to image), Ekangi Dir Ravichandran/2003(Kan. Retro)
Beladingala Bale
Dir. Suni Kumar Desai /1995 (Kan. Retro), Bhoomigeeta
Dir. Kesri haravoo/1997 (Kan. Retro)
20/01/2009: Gattimela Dir. S. Mahendar /2001 (Kan. Retro), Mungaru Male
Dir. Yogaraja Bhat/2006 (Kan. Retro)
21/01/2009: Huliya Dir. K. V. Raju /1996 (Kan. Retro), Nanjundi Kalyana Dir. M. S. Rajashekhar/1989 (Kan. Retro)
22/01/2009: Gandugali Kumararama Dir. Bhargava/2006 (Kan. Retro), Milana Dir. Prakash/2007(Kan. Retro) For more details Call: 2671785, www.biffes.in