Kerala Film Producers’ Association-PVR ti over virtual print fee at two malls resolved
The dispute between Kerala Film Producers’ Association (KFPA) and multiplex player PVR-INOX over virtual print fee (VPF) has been resolved.
The issue was settled following talks held between representatives of the KFPA and the company in Kochi on April 19 and 20. B. Rakesh, secretary of the association, said screening of Malayalam lms would begin at screens in Forum Mall in Kochi and Miraj Cinemas in Kozhikode. “We
‘Screening of Malayalam lms will begin at screens in Forum Mall in Kochi and Miraj Cinemas in Kozhikode’
have also decided not to pay VPF from January 2025 onwards in view of the high rates asked by the digital service providers,” he said. VPF is the payment made by the producer for theatres to acquire digital cinema equipment.
The multiplex chain decided to stop screening Malayalam lms after KFPA demanded that lms must be released at screens in the malls at Kochi and Kozhikode at a low VPF using content mastered at PDC (Producers’ Digital Cinema), a facility promoted by producers. PDC was launched after producers and distributors found the VPF being charged by existing content providers to screen the movies in the theatres too high.
The dierences widened after the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) threatened to launch protests in front of the screens against the decision by the company to stop screening of Malayalam movies.
The decision had aected the box-oce prospects of director Jithu Madhavan’s Aavesham, Vineeth Sreenivasan’s Varshangalkku Shesham, and Ranjith Sankar’s Jai Ganesh released in connection with the Vishu festival. They had also stopped screening the previously released Malayalam lms, including Blessy’s Aadujeevitham, A.D. Girish’s Premalu, and Chidambaram’s Manjummel Boys.
KFPA, FEFKA and Kerala
Film Distributors’ Association took a position that they would not cooperate with PVR-INOX unless it compensated producers’ loss on account of not releasing the festival releases and taking down the Malayalam movies which were already being screened.
The ti was resolved following the intervention by M.A. Yusu Ali, managing director of LuLu Group. The company’s malls in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram have several screens of the multiplex chain.