Sun Mar 09 01:48:00 UTC 2025: ## Bengaluru International Film Festival Concludes with Award Ceremony Amidst Minor Chaos

**Bengaluru, March 9, 2025** – The 16th Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFes) concluded on Saturday with an award ceremony that saw “Humans in the Loop,” a Hindi film exploring AI and humanity, win Best Indian Film. The Kannada film “Mikka Bannada Hakki,” directed by Manohara K., was named Best Kannada Film. Veteran actress Shabana Azmi received the Lifetime Achievement Award (accepted on her behalf by Arundhati Nag due to a scheduling conflict).

The seven-day festival attracted approximately one lakh attendees, a 30-40% increase from the previous year, according to artistic director N. Vidyashankar. Other award winners included “Level Cross” (Malayalam) and “Swaha” (Hindi) as runners-up in the Indian Cinema Competition. “Pidayi” and “Daskath” took second and third place respectively in the Kannada Cinema Competition. The FIPRESCI Award went to “Humans in the Loop”.

The closing ceremony, held at the Department of Information and Public Relations, experienced minor logistical issues, with a shortage of seating forcing some guests, including foreign delegates, to stand. Academy chairman Sadhu Kokila apologized for the inconvenience, attributing it to a venue change due to ongoing repairs at the originally planned location.

The festival also highlighted the need for greater inclusivity in cinema, with discussions emphasizing the importance of providing more screening opportunities for smaller, content-driven films. The event featured a diverse selection of films from across Asia, including entries from Iran, Israel, Italy, and Bengal.

Read More