Immediate action will be taken for betterment of film industry: President

The Government will not hesitate to take decisions in securing the film industry and help the artists, says President Maithripala Sirisena.

He said this participating in a special meeting in discussing the issues related to the film industry at the President’s office Thursday (4).  The system of distributing films was also specially discussed. 

Since certain ‘acts’ regarding the publicity and production of the films are often neglected, a lot of issues have been erupted and it was mentioned that the support of the Government is needed to produce and exhibit high quality.

The facts revealed in the report compiled by the Committee appointed by the President to study the local cinema were also discussed.

The current fluctuation in the percentage of the income of the exhibition and the income of the distribution of the films, lack of financial stability of the owners of the cinema halls to digitalise and modernise the cinema halls, lack of proper cash flow in the industry to all stakeholders, importing of foreign films, lack of systematic procedures for distribution of films, and the approaches that should be taken to uplift the quality of the local cinema, and the new system of taxes were also in discussion. The films not being properly conserved for the future generation was also discussed.

Ministers Wijeydasa Rajapakshe, Dayasiri Jayasekara, Secretary to the President Udaya R. Senevirathne, Dharmasiri Bandaranayaike, Somarathe Dissanayake, Ravindra Randeniya, Inoka Sathyangani, and film directors, producers, artists and others were present in this event.