Seventh edition of Bengaluru GAFX to be held on Feb 27
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government on Monday announced the seventh edition of Bengaluru GAFX, one of the country’s largest AVGC-XR conferences and exhibitions.
Supported by the state government in collaboration with the Association of Bangalore Animation Industry and Startup Karnataka, the event will be held from February 27 to March 1 here.
It is expected to bring together creators, studios, technologists, investors, and industry leaders from across the global media and entertainment ecosystem.
According to a press release, Karnataka remains at the forefront of India’s 'orange economy', where creativity, culture, and technology converge.
The state contributes nearly 20 per cent to the country’s media and entertainment industry and is home to over 300 Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality studios, employing around 15,000 professionals, supported by a strong freelance and gig ecosystem.
The theme for this year, 'Evolution Reloaded', reflects the next phase of growth in AVGC and immersive media sectors, where human creativity integrates with advanced technologies to redefine storytelling, gaming, animation, and immersive experiences.
Addressing a press conference, IT Minister Priyank Kharge highlighted the AVGC Centre of Excellence as a key pillar of the state’s strategy.
The CoE has executed over 200 projects across domestic and international markets, spanning animation, VFX, gaming, and XR.
With the rollout of AVGC CoE 2.0, the government aims to expand access beyond Bengaluru into Tier-II and Tier-III cities, creating a distributed creative technology network across the state, he said.
"In 2024, India saw a 20 per cent growth in the sector, and nearly 50 per cent of the revenue came from Karnataka. We have the required human resources and skills for AVGC here. We have implemented the AVGC-XR policy and aim to create more than 50,000 jobs by 2028," Priyank said.
He noted that several high-budget Indian films, including 'KGF', completed significant creative and technical work at Karnataka’s Centres of Excellence.
The minister stressed that Karnataka has been consistently investing in digital art platforms across districts, not limited to Bengaluru.
The CoE in AVGC has been functional for over six years, he added.
Emphasising regional expansion, Priyank said strong creative ideas are emerging from Tier-II cities, and the government is prioritising balanced development while strengthening Bengaluru’s position as a global creative hub.
The summit will feature sessions on major productions, including 'Kantara Chapter 1', Netflix’s 'Kurukshetra', 'Mahavatar Narasimha', 'Dhurandhar', and 'Lokah'.
Highlights include a book-to-screen session on Indian mythology with author Anand Neelakanthan, cinematography and virtual production sessions with directors of photography from 'Kantara', 'Baahubali', and 'OG', as well as making-of sessions from Oscar- and BAFTA-nominated projects.
The event will also host a dedicated AI-for-VFX track, gaming sessions, VFX masterclasses, comics street, board game launches, GAFX art challenges, and a B2B investor connect, positioning the conference as a key convergence point for the future of visual storytelling, the release added.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Always stood by CM, will continue to do so in future, says Dy CM Shivakumar
Bengaluru (PTI): Seeking to junk claims of power tussle in the state, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Monday asserted that he has always stood by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and will continue to do so in future as well.
He said it is the party high command which decides leadership matters and the backing of certain number of MLAs could not decide anything.
During a discussion in the Karnataka Assembly, opposition leader R Ashoka said Shivakumar often spoke about the right time.
"Shivakumar says time will give the answer. We will get relief if he discloses which time he is talking about," Ashoka said.
The BJP leader said he has heard from Shivakumar’s camp that there are at least 56 MLAs to support the deputy chief minister.
"When I asked a person from Chief Minister’s camp he said every morning these 56 people go to Shivakumar’s camp and return to the CM’s camp by the evening. Labour Minister Santosh Lad is from the same category," Ashoka claimed. He added that Shivakumar was in a dilemma over whom to trust.
Lad took exception to Ashoka's statement and rejected being the follower of a particular camp, and retorted saying that the BJP is an "expert" in bringing down governments.
Ashoka said the BJP will never topple the government and hinted that the power tussle would bring down the Congress regime in the state.
He said Shivakumar should clear the air because for the past month, his speeches, statements, and social media posts have been conveying hundreds of meaning, thereby adding confusion.
Replying, the Deputy CM said, his strength is "139 MLAs" including the chief minister.
Further, the deputy chief minister said: "Siddaramaiah is also with me 100 per cent. There is no question on it. We both are together, working to fulfill the promises made to the people of Karnataka. We are marching in that direction and will continue to do so in future as well. There should not be any confusion."
He asserted that he always stood by Siddaramaiah during crisis and will do so in future. "He (Siddaramaiah) will also stand by me,” the Deputy CM said.
On his social media post, he said: "Decisions are not taken based on the number but it is the party leadership which decides. It is applies to both yours and my party."
The BJP replaced a number of chief ministers, MLAs were also changed and a major cabinet reshuffle happened, he added.
