The 4th BIFFES (Bengaluru International Film Festival) - 2011 will be held from 15th to 22nd December, 2011, its organizers have announced. Bengaluru is the new - and phonetically correct name as per the native Kannada language - for Bangalore city, the IT capital of India.

This edition of the festival will be bigger in scope and ambition thanks to the Government of Karnataka state in southern India, whose capital Bengaluru is. The government, organizers Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy said, had responded to the aspirations of the film fraternity of the state and announced annual budgetary funding and support for the festival. The Academy is a government-founded body to promote cinema culture and education.

The local Kannada film industry has made signal contributions to the quality and range of Indian cinematic expression and grown to produce over a 100 feature films every year. Films from Karnataka have won national and international recognition and critical acclaim at various film festivals.

The 4th BIFFES will feature both Competition and non-Competition sections.

Selection of the films to be invited for screening at the competition will be made by an expert committee and prizes will be awarded by jury panels comprising Indian and international members.

The Competition Section itself will be in four categories:

1. International category for feature films:

Awards instituted by Government of Karnataka; International Jury

Best film Award: GOLDEN BERUNDA

Cash Award of Rs. 10,00,000 (approx. US $20,000)

Best Director Award: SILVER BERUNDA

Cash Award of Rs. 5,00,000 (approx US $10,000)

Eligibility: Films made between: 1st Jan 2010 and 15th June 2011.

2. Asian cinema category

Award from Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce; Netpac Jury

Cash Prize: Rs 2,00,000/- (approx: US $ 4,000)

Films made in the Asian Continent

Eligibility: Films made between: 1st Jan 2010 and 15th June 2011.

3. Chitrabharathi: Indian cinema category.

Award from Suchitra Film Society; FIPRESCI Jury

Best film award: SUCHITRA SANMAN, Cash Prize: Rs 2,00,000/- (approx: US $ 4,000)

Indian language films.

Eligibility: Films made between: 1st Sept 2010 and 31st Aug 2011.

4. Kannada cinema category

Award: Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy; Film Societies' Jury.

Cash Prize: Rs. 2,00,000/- (approx: US$ 4,000)

Films in the languages of Karnataka

Eligibility: Films made between: 1st Sept 2010 and 31st Aug 2011.

Guidelines for both Competition and non-Competition Sections:

• Film submission formats: 35mm, Digi-Beta and international-standard digital format

• Films must be sub-titled in English

Competition Section

o Films entered in competition sections of the other festivals in India are also eligible.

o No screening charges will be paid for the films.

o One representative - Producer or Director or any authorized representative - is entitled for travel (economy class- return airfare) and local hospitality at

the festival

o Entries are to be sent in the prescribed form (available on our website) along with a DVD screener with English Subtitles.

We invite films for Non-Competition section also under the following

categories:

o World Cinema

o Retrospectives & Tributes

o Country Focus

o Special Genre

o Nostalgia

The website www.biffes.in has the details about the film festival, guidelines and entry forms.