PROMOTING CINEMA: Girish Kasaravalli, filmmaker, and Vijaya, vice-president of Suchitra Film Society, at a press conference in Bangalore on Wednesday. — Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

BANGALORE: An International Film Festival is being organised here from December 22 to 28 by Suchitra Film Society with the support of the Government, Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce and private and cultural organisations.

The chairman of the festival's organising committee V.N. Subba Rao, who is also chairman of the Karnataka Media Academy, told presspersons here on Wednesday that considering the importance of Bangalore city in the global scene, it was pertinent to hold an international film festival here. No major film festival had been held here since 1992, he said. In the light of the Centre's changed policy on holding international film festivals in many States, an attempt had been made to organise such an event in Bangalore, he said.

Suchitra Film Society, which had organised film festivals across the country and won accolades, was now making concerted efforts to rope in the State with a long-term proposition, he added.

Executive director of the festival N. Vidyashankar said the purpose was to create broad-based infrastructure for holding the festival annually and promote the quality of Kannada cinema at home and elsewhere.

The organisers were hopeful that the Government, which had provided infrastructure support, would also extend financial assistance.

Tribute to Rajkumar

Filmmaker and festival director Girish Kasaravalli said the event would be dedicated to Rajkumar, the thespian of Kannada cinema.

The categories will include contemporary films, classics, Kannada section and films of technical excellence.

Over 40 internationally acclaimed award-winning films and seven Indian films would be screened in the contemporary films category. Seven international and eight Indian films would be screened under the category of classics.

The technical excellence section would showcase the select works of cinematographer V.K. Murthy.

The Kannada section will be a package of 35 films that have made an indelible impression on Indian cinema, both culturally and commercially, Mr. Kasaravallisaid.

Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy will inaugurate the festival on December 21 at Chowdaiah Memorial Hall. Kannada films will be screened at Movieland Cinema and those in the other categories at Tribhuvan and Kailash cinema halls from December 22.

Entry for all screenings will be only through delegates' season pass. Those interested may contact Suchitra Film Society, B.V. Karanth Road, Banashankari, 2nd stage, Bangalore, Ph: 26711785, or email suchitrafilms @rediffmail.com or visit www.suchitrafilms.org

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