FILM INDUSTRY ISSUES MUST BE SETTLED AMICABLY: BUDDHI
Sri Lanka Film Exhibitors Guild President Deshabandu Buddhi Keerthisena says the crucial issues that have been hampering the forward march of our cinema industry, should be sorted out amicably with all stakeholders getting opportunities to voice their concerns.
issues friction stakeholders entertainment Some courts the on. further crisis-hit “There cases Can have seeking that weaken among we film are are have even allow industry? in various dragging sector. key redress our this created gone this already key to to and There losers Every get dues a in fair stakeholder can’t in a this share justified be endeavor. winners of manner. their must and All contribute industry stakeholders must to our exist. that cinema Seeking only drag legal things redress further. will With in charge a new of minister our cinema now and a new chairman being appointed to the National Film Corporation, I feel this is the ideal time to sit and iron out differences, instead of slinging mud or pointing fingers at each other. I know the new chairman Ms. Anusha Gokula is keen to sincerely dedicate herself for the welfare of our film industry, but speculations are rife that she is being misled by some her to our from factions, problems,” finding preventing solutions Mr. Keerthisena told Daily Mirror Life Impulse. We are a country that boasted of some 350 plus cinema halls 35 years ago, but today we are left with only some 180 halls. Of these we only have six cinema halls in Colombo to screen Sinhala movies. The rest of the cinemas screen foreign films. We badly need new cinema halls to screen Sinhala movies. The government should encourage and make use of state lands to put up cinemas. Today there is an issue which prevents the screening of 3D films in the country. This issue could also be sorted out through dialogue. We need not fight. Let’s sort things out in a pleasant and peaceful manner to save our cinema industry,” said Mr. Keerthisena who plans to initiate discussions with the relevant authorities soon to resolve these issues in a harmonious manner.