For filmmakers, a festival selection can be a gateway to wider audiences. Independent filmmakers particularly rely on film festivals as a platform to promote their work and attract distributors. But what if a festival seemingly dismisses submissions without proper evaluation? This is a concern raised by two Kannada filmmakers, Abhilash Shetty and Naresh Hegde Dodmari, who say their films were rejected by the 16th Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFes), allegedly after viewing only a short portion of the films.
Abhilash Shetty, known for his debut feature Koli Taal, submitted his latest film Naale Rajaa Koli Majaa under multiple categories at BIFFes, including Asian Cinema, Indian Cinema, and Kannada Cinema. The film, which follows an 11-year-old girl’s quest to find a forbidden chicken curry on Gandhi Jayanti, has already been showcased at international festivals such as the 19th Jogja NETPAC Asian Film Festival in Indonesia, the Bucharest Film Festival in Romania, and IFF Alberta in Canada.
However, Abhilash alleged that his film was viewed only once on January 30, 2025. He found that the link of his movie which he had submitted to BIFFes was watched only once. In an open letter to BIFFes, he questioned whether the film was fairly evaluated across all committees. “Was it reviewed by all relevant juries, or was the decision made without a proper process?” he asked. He also speculated whether the festival’s decision was influenced by the film’s critique of government policies or its “non-vegetarian” theme. “If fear of backlash dictates your selection, then you should stop calling this a film festival,” he wrote.
Naresh Hegde Dodmari, a 32-year-old filmmaker making his debut with Tingl Belku (The Light for the Rest of the Walk), echoed similar concerns. He said that he discovered through Vimeo (video hosting and sharing platform on which he shared his film) analytics that his 108-minute-long film was watched for only 9 minutes and 21 seconds by the selection committee. The film, which addresses drug abuse among youth, has been screened at several international festivals, including the New Jersey Indian International Film Festival and the Rajasthan International Film Festival.
Speaking to TNM, Naresh expressed frustration over the lack of transparency in the selection process. “I knew something was off, but I didn’t have proof until Abhilash shared the analytics of the screener. When I checked my Vimeo account, I saw that my 108-minute long film was watched for less than 10 minutes. How can they judge a film without watching it?” he said.
Both filmmakers also raised concerns about the impracticality of BIFFes’ submission timeline. Submissions opened on January 10 and closed on January 23, with the final line-up announced just days later. “If films were submitted as late as January 23, the festival had only 20 days to watch all of them. That’s practically impossible,” Naresh pointed out.
Another issue they highlighted was whether BIFFes considers a film’s prior festival journey in its selection process. “If a film has already gained credibility through other festivals, it should be given some priority,” Naresh said, while acknowledging that such a process might disadvantage new filmmakers without prior exposure.
Abhilash also hinted at a possible connection between his film’s rejection and the controversy surrounding his 2022 film Koli Taal, which was also excluded from BIFFes. He urged the festival to operate without personal biases.
This is not the first time BIFFes has faced criticism over its selection process. In 2022, several critically acclaimed Kannada films, including Abhilash’s Koli Taal, Natesh Hegde’s Pedro, and Ganesh Hegde’s Neeli Hakki, were absent from the line-up. Gaurav Madan’s Barah by Barah was initially selected but later dropped.
Abhilash said that he is not seeking a re-evaluation but is raising these concerns for the betterment of the festival, filmmakers, and audiences. He also announced that Naale Rajaa Koli Majaa will soon have a theatrical and streaming release, ensuring that audiences can experience the film regardless of its festival journey.
BIFFes is scheduled to be held from March 1-8. As of February 12, a total of 136 films have been confirmed for screening across categories, with only five Kannada films making it to the festival.