Bengaluru: Over the last few years, film festivals in India – including the Bengaluru International Film Festival, IFFI, Mumbai, and others, have gained a large following, bringing national and international films of note, directors, actors, writers and more together, and enabling an exchange of ideas and styles.
Now, a unique film festival in Bengaluru is bringing international independent films, and a chance for film lovers and students of filmmaking, to learn from these films. The festival will also be a platform to celebrate and honor the stalwarts of Kannada films.
The Innovative International Film Festival, to be held over three days in Innovative Film City, Bengaluru, will feature over 70 national and international films, and interactive sessions with filmmakers and experts. The festival will also function as a major networking platform for film students, while an award show will felicitate the leaders of the Kannada film industry.
The festival is organized by the Innovative Film Academy, which has been training the next generation of filmmakers in Bengaluru for 10 years. The academy, headlined by film industry veterans, and affiliated to the Bangalore University, offers Post Graduate Diplomas in Film Production and trains students across all disciplines of filmmaking.
Talking about the festival, Rockline Venkatesh, Mentor, and Advisor said, “India produces approximately 1500 films a year, across Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu, Hindi, Bengali, and other languages. Pop culture in many big cities are heavily influenced by cinema, and it remains one of the most welcoming entertainment platforms for the people. But there is very little focus on training and mentoring new filmmakers. So, we believe we can address that gap with our festival. We are sure that the viewers who come to see the films will not only be entertained but also educated.”
Over 2000 delegates are expected to attend the festival every day, with a majority of them being students. The organisers have personally helped bring 1000 students from across Karnataka to the venue and have provided them with a networking platform as well.
Talking about the arrangements made, Upasana Mittal, Executive Director of the festival, said, “We have arranged 6 very special screening rooms that can host no more than 70 persons, and here we will be playing films of substance and style, films that explore form and function, and will be offering students the opportunity to break these films down theoretically and understand what makes them great. This will be a great learning experience!”
The festival will also play host to international filmmakers, producers, directors, writers and other experts. Allowing them to both understand the market and the industry here, as well as to explore future collaborations.
The festival will also feature a networking platform for filmmakers – both Indian and global – to meet young filmmakers and talents from across the country.
