Movie Nights in Bergen at BIFF

Good news for all you film fans.  The annual Bergen International Film Festival (BIFF for short) held in Bergen, Norway is getting ready for its close-up. Showcasing international films, the event gets off the ground at the end of October (23^rd) and runs just a little over a week until the 30^th at the Magnus Barefoot Cinema with select screenings at other venues. Yeah, I know it’s pre-Halloween but didn’t you vie last year that you’d leave your sailor uniform on the hanger next year? How about doing something different?  Fare Buzz now has round trip flights on KLM via Amsterdam from New York with a return adding a secondary stop at London’s Heathrow for the New York connection for only $779 per person.  BIFF may well be this year’s treat!

Bergen, Norway’s second largest city and known for its seven mountains surrounding the city center, is touted as one of the country’s hottest cultural destinations for its plethora of museums and attractions. It’ll be a Mecca for film-goers next month.

A film that caught my eye (and ears) is Good Ol’ Freda from director Ryan White. Freda Kelly was the Beatles’ secretary and the film focuses on her work with the band from her point of view. This is definitely for all you Beatleheads and offers some interesting insight from someone who was very close to the 4 lads.

Another film called “Google and The World Brain” is a documentary that evokes the writing of H.G. Wells’ and his penned term “world brain” which parallels the Google business model. The film covers Google’s project that started back in 2002, which sought to scan every book in the world,  and the difficulties that got in the way of their ambitious mission. If you’re a Google lover, it may be a great flick to get you more acquainted with the world famous company.

Another film called “Søsken til evig tid” or The Siblings Are Forever is a documentary focusing on the lives of Norwegian brother and sister Magnar and Oddny. The pair have lived a simple life in Kleiva, Norway since childhood and are now both over 70 years old. The film shows poignant moments in their daily communication and how their natural surroundings influence their day to day.

Søsken til evig tid from Frode Fimland on Vimeo.

BIFF launched back in 2000 and is currently the biggest film festival in Norway with attendance doubling from 20,000 its first year to 45,000 in 2010. Films that are being screened fall into these categories:

• Cinema Extraordinaire–Foreign Fiction
• Documentary Program – Documentaries
• Checkpoints – A Special Category Co-Hosted by the Rafto Foundation for Human Rights for Films that focus on Human Rights
• Musikalske Takter – Musical Documentaries or Concert Films
• Vestlund, Vestland – For Western Norwegian Films
• Norwegian Short Film Competition

Select films from each category compete for an award which will be selected by a panel of BIFF judges.

Their program is being updated regularly so check their site not only for scheduling updates but for other news on events and special promotions. Unfortunately, there are no horror films on the program for anyone still in the Halloween mood. New films are still being added so who knows?

A note from the TS Editors:

A word to the wise … there’s no reserved seating for BIFF, it’s first come, first served. There are also no previews so be on time.