Photo: Collected
Coordinated initiatives will be taken, based on discussions with the stakeholders concerned, to take the film industry forward, modernise cinema halls and bring audiences back to them, State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Yasser Khan Chowdhury has said.
He made the remarks at a view-exchange meeting with leaders of the Bangladesh Motion Picture Exhibitors Association, held at the conference room of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Monday.
The state minister said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has given directives for the development of the film industry, and the government is moving ahead with various plans in line with them. Discussions are under way with the various stakeholders linked to cinema, including the associations of producers, directors and artistes. As part of that process, this meeting was called to hear the problems of hall owners.
According to him, implementing some of the demands raised by the hall owners will require policy decisions from the government, while some other issues could be resolved through discussions at inter-ministerial meetings. The issue of allocating Tk 1,000 crore to save cinema halls came up in the discussion, and he will look into it. If the government has a policy decision on releasing the money, the necessary steps will be taken to put it into effect.
Yasser Khan Chowdhury said he does not agree with the notion that cinema halls will disappear because of mobile phones or home theatres. He argued that the experience of watching a film on the big screen together with many others in a hall is different from watching it at home or on a mobile phone screen. Despite various obstacles, cinema halls and cineplexes are running successfully in different countries around the world. So it needs to be examined why the halls in Bangladesh cannot survive.
He said there is no alternative to making quality films to increase audiences in halls. Rather than relying solely on importing foreign films, decisions on importing and screening films must be taken keeping in mind the country’s culture, heritage and economic interests. The government will be sincere about permitting the import of foreign films, but it must also be considered how far the country’s revenue earnings and the interests of the people are being ensured through imports and exports.
Highlighting the potential of film exports, the state minister said efforts will be made to find out and act on whether there is scope to earn revenue by screening and exporting the country’s films abroad. In that case, it also needs to be examined how much of the income from exports is being used for the people and the economy of Bangladesh.
On the audience crisis facing local films, he said many cinema halls are not getting enough viewers; in some single screens, attendance is very low against a huge number of seats. To overcome this situation, hall owners, producers and directors must sit together, understand audience demand and take the initiative to make and screen quality films. If good films are made, everyone — producers, hall owners and audiences — will benefit.
Stressing the need to develop skilled artistes for the film industry, the state minister said the skills of directors, actors and actresses need to be enhanced through training.
A programme titled ‘Protibhar Sandhane’ (In Search of Talent) is being launched through the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC). He expressed hope that talented artistes will continue to emerge through it in the days ahead.
Highlighting the importance of introducing e-ticketing in cinema halls, he said the necessary directives have already been given to the BFDC in this regard.
If modern ticketing is introduced, it could increase the government’s revenue earnings on the one hand and bring transparency and speed to the work of hall owners on the other. Hall owners must also show sincerity in implementing the system.
The state minister further said talks will be held with the Bangladesh Bank governor and the finance minister on releasing funds for modernising halls. It needs to be considered how the allocated money can be used not only for cineplexes but also for conventional cinema halls.
He urged the leaders of the Motion Picture Exhibitors Association to send their demands to the ministry in writing. He also assured them that after reviewing them, the initiatives that are feasible will be taken forward quickly.
Bangladesh Motion Picture Exhibitors Association President Awlad Hossain, General Secretary Sharfuddin Elahi Chowdhury and other members of the organisation’s executive committee took part in the meeting. They placed various proposals on the crisis facing halls and their modernisation, financing, the import and export of films, and increasing audiences.
