Siddaramaiah inaugurates 17th Bengaluru International Film Festival

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday inaugurated the 17th Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFF) in a grand ceremony held in front of Vidhana Soudha . The event opened with a “World Music Celebration” led by renowned violinist Jyotsna Srikanth , followed by the formal inauguration.

Actors Prakash Raj , the festival ambassador, and Rukmini Vasanth were among the distinguished guests attending the event. The Netherlands film Fort Baggage will be screened as the opening film of the festival.

This year’s edition of BIFF is being held under the theme “Women's Sensibility, the Voice of Equality,” inspired by a line from the late Kannada poet G S Shivarudrappa , highlighting women’s perspectives and voices in cinema.

The festival, running until February 6, will showcase around 225 films from 65 countries, spanning multiple sections such as Asian Cinema Competition, Indian and Kannada cinema competitions, contemporary world cinema, and retrospectives. Screenings will be held at Cinepolis, Lulu Mall (Rajajinagar), Suchitra Film Society (Banashankari), and the Karnataka Film Artists' Association premises.

Film festivals like BIFF, along with other prominent festivals such as Goa’s IFFI and Mumbai’s MAMI , serve as platforms to showcase global cinema, promote regional films, foster cultural exchange, and highlight social issues through storytelling . This edition particularly aims to spotlight women-centric narratives , making it one of the most anticipated cultural events in Bengaluru this year.