‘Free cinema’
View(s):Cinema enthusiast and film importer, Imthiaz Cader complains that there were many irregularities in the Sri Lankan film industry and says liberalisation should be continued to have a clear, transparent and fair film distribution and exhibition system.
While the public debate and a legal battle are on whether the National Film Corporation (NFC) should take over the distribution rights, Mr. Cader a renowned foreign film importer and distributor is of the opinion that liberalisation and free hand for the private sector would positively contribute to the betterment of the cinema.
“We are ready to come to table to discuss about the issue,” says Imthiaz Cader, chairman of Cinema Entertainments Pvt. Ltd.
However Mr. Cader believes that private sector should be given more opportunities to work freely in cinema, an art and industry that changes with the technical development worldwide. “The NFC has been inefficient with the celluloid and it would be inefficient with the digitial and other developed technology as well,” he said.
“Those days foreign films were screened at least six months to one year after their original releases. Even India did not get immediate releases. We were given early releases, because we invested and we were recognized as a country that promote cinema by the foreign film distributors,” said Mr. Cader. “If we took the backseat, would this industry progress. I have lot of interest in this industry because it is part of our family tradition. We are going to produce some Sinhala films next year. But now we are wondering whether we should go ahead with these plans,” he said.
Mr. Cader is also of the opinion that not only the foreign films but even the Sri Lankan films are promoted if they are of good quality.
“People produce films for the thrill. If they produce good films, we will go after producers and ask for them. It should be viable. We have spent millions to refurbish theatres,”.
Cader thinks that Sri Lankan film exhibition should be developed to the world standandards and new concepts should be introduced on par with the other countries. “There are new concepts like dinner cinema. Government bodies even never thought about these. The new concepts in the other countries need to be introduced to Sri Lanka. For example while watching a film you can have a dinner. You don’t need total darkness in cinema now,” he said.
“But even to serve food at cinemas, we have to get permission from the government authorities. How can we progress this industry.”He also said that ticketing rates like multiple rates which are done all over the world should be introduced here. Multiple rates are done in the airlines, banks and many other industries. Why can’t we do it in the film industry as well. We are not going to overcharge. We have got electronic ticketing. But the NFC even didn’t like having electronic ticketing. It wanted us to have ticket books.
Mr. Cader said that the archaic NFC acts is a barrier for the development of the cinema industry. As a family business, Mr. Cadar says that third generation of his family has entered the cinema but the National Film Corporation is treating them in the same way it treated the first and the second generations. Cinema being an art and industry that has been immensely developed with the technology, Mr. Cadar says that there should be flexibility and openness to accept technical advances.
Asked about the large number of films which are being held up while the distribution was in the hands of private sector, Mr. Cader said that the problem was worse earlier specially due to the interference of authorities.
“Former NFC Chairman late Tissa Abeysekere told me that one of the main reasons for the long queue was that interference of authorites on the NFC.
There were many a instances of ‘jumping the queue’ on the instruction given to NFC by the authorities. This has led to many court cases and even chairman had to go to courts and waste his time. But this problem is not there when the film distribution is under the private sector as authorities cannot interfere with the private sector.
Speaking about the future of cinema business, Mr. Cader says that there are large number of theatres to come up in Colombo and the outstation. In next five years there will be nearly 10 more cinemas coming up in Colombo and suburb, he said.