Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah declared on January 6 that the 16th Bengaluru International Film Festival would take place from March 1–8 with the theme “Garden of Peace for All” Following a meeting of the international film festival organizing committee, he was speaking at a press conference held at the Chief Minister’s official residence in Krishna.

“This year’s festival aims to promote Kannada cinema” the Chief Minister said, highlighting the government’s support for the film sector. The establishment of a selection committee to evaluate films for funding is one of the measures the government has taken to promote Kannada cinema.

Additionally, 110 acres of land in Mysuru have been cleared by the government for the development of a Film City, which will be carried out under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.

The theme of last year’s film festival was “Social Justice” More than 60 nations will take part this year, and 200 films will be shown on 13 screens.

This year, 11 screens in Orion Mall, one at the Suchitra Film Society, and one at the Dr. Ambareesh Auditorium in Chamarajpet will screen the film.

Additionally, more than 400 films in Kannada and other languages will be screened, providing Bengaluru and Karnataka residents with a chance to learn about various cultures. The Chief Minister remarked that it was a fantastic chance for moviegoers.

This is the 16th edition of the festival, which began in 2006. According to the chief minister, the festival’s budget this year has been raised to Rs 9 crore from Rs 7 crore last year.

On March 1, the festival will begin, and on March 8, there will be a closing ceremony. The festival’s brand ambassador will be chosen by the committee.

The event will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and the Governor will be present during the closing ceremony.

The Chief Minister clarified that the celebration will start on March 1 to allow for pre-budget talks.

According to him, the goal of this year’s festival, which has as its theme “Garden of Peace for All,” is to promote Kannada cinema. The establishment of a selection committee to evaluate films for funding is one of the measures the government has taken to promote Kannada cinema.

The Chief Minister said that if he had the time, he would try to see films with artistic value when asked if he would view any during the festival.