Indian films walk away with top honours at BIFFes 2019
Indian films bagged several awards at the closing ceremony of the 11th edition of BIFFes held in Bengaluru.
FollowBengaluru: A reverberating patriotic speech was delivered by Governor Vajubhai Vala at the closing ceremony of the 11th Bengaluru International Film Festival. Indian films walked away with top honours.
The Most Popular Kannada Film of the year went to the Kannada blockbuster hit, KGF.
A Tamil film ‘Sivaranjiniyum Innum Silla Pengalum’, directed by Vasanth S Sai won the Best Asian Film award. Announcing this award was artistic director of BIFFes N Vidyashankar who said that an Indian film has bagged this award after three years.
Vidyashankar spoke about how the festival has grown over the years. “Ten years ago, about 50 or 60 films were screened. This year, 225 films from 60 countries were screened,” said Vidyashankar.
BIFFes has grown to the extent of choosing the films it wants to screen as opposed to inviting delegates, organisers stated.
Noted Polish filmmaker and chief guest Krzysztof Zanussi said, “Cinema enables us to keep in touch with a world that we otherwise would not be acquainted with.” He also went on to say that films informed and lent perspectives to audiences.
BIFFes chairman Nagathihalli Chandrashekar thanked the hundreds of volunteers who worked towards ensuring that the festival ran smoothly.
The FIPRESCI International Critics Jury Award went to ‘Ghode ko Jalebi Khilane Le Ja Riya Hoon directed by Anamika Haksar. The same film also bagged the Best Indian Cinema Award.
Special Jury award went to Assamese film Amrityu directed by Arum Manna
NETPAC International Jury Prize for Kannada Cinema went to Nathicharami directed by Mansore.
First place in the Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy Award for Best Kannada Cinema went to Mookajjiya Kanasugalu directed by P Sheshadri based on a novel by K Shivaram Karanth.
