Kolkata: In a move aimed at reducing filmmakers’ dependence on distributors for access to screens, the Bengal govt is exploring whether state-owned auditoriums and theatres can be upgraded and opened for regular screening of Bengali films.
Producers told the govt they currently have to spend around Rs 2 lakh to secure theatrical screening slots through distributors who control access to 30-40 halls. Access to screens emerged as one of the key concerns during two rounds of meetings between the information and cultural affairs department and representatives of producers, technicians’ guilds, studios and the federation at Nandan. The proposal is part of a wider plan to revive Bengal’s film and television industry. The govt will draw up a comprehensive Film and Shooting Policy covering production, shooting permissions, infrastructure and ease of doing business. It will also work towards a single-window digital clearance system for shoots by integrating permissions from different govt agencies. Payment disputes and technicians’ working conditions also figured prominently in the meetings, chaired by information and cultural affairs secretary Saumitra Mohan. The department will hold a separate meeting with television channels, producers, executive producers and guilds to work out a mechanism for timely wage payment.
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