Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti, filmmaker Jabbar Patel, actors Shivarajkumar and Daali Dhananjaya, and Aradhana, daughter of Malashri, during the 15th Bengaluru International Film Festival at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Thursday.
| Photo Credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Thursday that the long-pending Karnataka State Film Awards will soon be given away. Speaking at the inauguration of the 15th Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFes), Siddaramaiah said, “Committees have been formed to decide on the winners from the year 2019. Based on the reports from the committees, we will soon give away the awards.”

The Chief Minister declared the festival open and said he would love to see films spreading the message of love and humanity. “I urge film buffs to use this opportunity to watch the best of films from across the world,” he said.

The Karnataka government had announced the winners for the 2018-19 season, but it is yet to give away the prizes. The awards for the following years haven’t been announced. The State government has attributed the delay to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Actor Dhananjaya, the brand ambassador of the event, superstar Shivarajkumar, actor and the newly-appointed president of Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy, acclaimed filmmaker Jabbar Patel, and other notable personalities from cinema and politics were present at the inauguration that took place at the grand stairs of the Vidhana Soudha.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti, filmmaker Jabbar Patel, actors Shivarajkumar and Daali Dhananjaya, and Aradhana, daughter of Malashri, during the 15th Bengaluru International Film Festival at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Thursday.
| Photo Credit:
SUDHAKARA JAIN

Dhananjaya requested support from the government for newcomers from the film industry. “I urge the government to resume its plan of offering subsidy to filmmakers. After the pandemic, it has been a challenge for film professionals, especially for youngsters, to thrive in the industry,” he said.

Jabbar Patel, who made the award-winning Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar (2000), starring Mammootty as social reformer and politician Ambedkar, said he wishes to see the Kannada version of his movie. “In 2000, my film travelled across the world and got dubbed in several languages. In a special incident, the Chief Justice of England watched the film and said B.R. Ambedkar’s Constitution is one of the best in the world. I wanted the people of Karnataka to see the film in their language. However, there was an unofficial ban on dubbing in the state during that time. I heard that now the ban is lifted. I request the Kannada film industry and the government to dub Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar in Kannada,” he said.

Starting Friday, around 180 films from 50 countries will be screened across 11 screens at the Orion Mall. Some films will also be shown at Dr. Rajkumar Bhavana and Suchitra Cinema and Cultural Academy as well. For details on screenings and passes, log on to https://biffes.org