Siddaramaiah inaugurates Bengaluru International Film Festival

Bengaluru, Jan 29 (PTI) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday inaugurated the 17th Bengaluru International Film Festival here.

The inaugural programme held in front of Vidhana Soudha here featured a “World Music Celebration” led by violinist Jyotsna Srikanth, followed by the formal event.

Actors Prakash Raj, the festival’s ambassador, and Rukmini Vasanth were among the special guests who were part of the event.

According to officials, the Netherlands film Fort Baggage will be screened as the opening film.

This year’s festival is being held with the theme “Women’s Sensibility, the Voice of Equality,” inspired by a famous line from prominent late Kannada poet G S Shivarudrappa.

The festival, to be held till February 6, will showcase around

225 films from 65 countries across multiple sections, including Asian Cinema Competition, Indian and Kannada cinema competitions, contemporary world cinema and retrospectives, they said.

Screenings will take place at Cinepolis at Lulu Mall in Rajajinagar, Suchitra Film Society in Banashankari and the Karnataka Film Artists’ Association premises, officials added. PTI AMP SA