17th Bengaluru International Film Festival to be held from Jan 29 to Feb 6
Bengaluru: The 17th edition of the Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFES) will be held here from January 29 to February 6, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Tuesday after chairing a preparatory meeting for the event.
Addressing a press conference, the Chief Minister said that senior actor, director and producer Prakash Raj has been appointed as the Brand Ambassador of the 17th International Film Festival.
The inauguration ceremony of the festival will be held on the grand steps in front of the Vidhana Soudha.
He said the theme of this year’s film festival will focus on women empowerment.
Film screenings will be held across 11 screens at Cinepolis in Lulu Mall at Bengaluru’s Rajajinagar.
The Chief Minister added that the submission process for films in the Asian, Indian and Kannada competitive sections has begun and has received a good response.
More than 110 films have already been submitted in these three categories, and the last date for submission is December 31, 2025.
In addition to Lulu Mall, film screenings will also be organised at Dr. Rajkumar Bhavan (also known as Kalavidara Sangha) in Chamarajpet and Suchitra Film Society theatres in Banashankari.
Overall, more than 200 films from over 60 countries, including Kannada and Indian films, will be screened during the festival, with more than 400 film shows scheduled.
Films that have participated in and won awards at the prestigious international film festivals such as Cannes (France), Berlin (Germany), Venice (Italy), Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic), Locarno (Switzerland), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Busan (South Korea) and Toronto (Canada) will be showcased at the festival.
Films shortlisted for this year’s Academy Awards (Oscars) from various countries will also be screened.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that international cultural organisations, including the Polish Cultural Centre in New Delhi; Goethe-Institut – Max Mueller Bhavan in Bengaluru; Alliance Française – French Institute; and the Royal Thailand Consulate are contributing their countries’ best films for the festival.
A special retrospective of selected films by renowned Polish filmmaker Andrzej Wajda will be organised in collaboration with the Polish Cultural Centre to mark his birth centenary.
In addition, a special film series documenting the history of African cinema will be presented in collaboration with Alliance Française Bengaluru and the French Institute in India.
To accommodate a larger number of registered delegates, a special stage will be set up at the main festival venue for film academic programmes.
“A photo exhibition highlighting milestones of the Kannada film industry, which has a cinematic history spanning 91 years, will also be organised at the venue,” CM Siddaramaiah said.
For the 2025–26 financial year, the Karnataka government has allocated Rs 7 crore for organising the 17th International Film Festival.
The Chief Minister said that awards for the best films and Lifetime Achievement Awards will be presented during the valedictory ceremony.
Film Academy President Sadhu Kokila, Information Department Secretary B.B. Kaveri, Commissioner Hemanth Nimbalkar, Additional Chief Secretary Anjum Parvez, Finance Department Principal Secretary Ritesh Kumar Singh, along with academy members, organising committee members and office-bearers of the Film Chamber of Commerce, were present at the preparatory meeting.