GOOD LOCAL FILMS CAN SAVE INDUSTRY FROM ONGOING CRISIS
Some cinemas have reduced ticket rates to woo filmgoers, butthattactic has also not apparently yielded positive results.
The country that was gripped by uncertainty following the Easter Sunday bombings is gradually limping back to normalcy in many spheres, while new bombshells are being dropped on a daily basis following ongoing investigations into the tragedy. Amidst all this drama, the entertainment industry is the ultimate sufferer as the people were caught up in a different mentality, giving low priority to entertainment aspects. This has had a major impact on the local film industry with two movies released on April 16 (Weli Pawuru) and April 20 (Thiththa Eththa) suffering the most. Since then no significant new Sinhala film releases were made. Producers who had lined up their films, have postponed their release dates, until the situation subsides.
On the other hand, no authority could compel producers to release their films in this backdrop, since it is the producer who will be the ultimate loser if the film fails to draw reasonable crowds. Producers of gap release films are also hesitant to have their films released at this stage. While things are now, returning back to normalcy, the ongoing world cup cricket matches have become another challenge to movies, according to several theatre owners. Hope things would get better after July 14. Tamil and Hindi films being screened at 7 pm and 9.30 pm are also experiencing a drop in revenue while Hollywood movies have reported less family patronage. Some cinemas have reduced ticket rates to woo filmgoers, but that tactic has also not apparently yielded positive results. The National Film Corporation which is hell-bent on getting a Cabinet paper approved with amended clauses, should at this crucial stage instead intervene with the relevant authorities and get some temporary relief for electricity tariffs for cinema halls and entertainment tax waivers. On the other hand, local film audiences will have to be treated with good movies if they are to patronize cinema halls. One bad film can damage the reputation of the whole industry. Among some noteworthy films that are enthusiastically awaited by local film audiences are Somaratne Dissanayake’s ‘Tsunami’, Prof. Sunil Ariyaratne’s ‘Wijeyaba Kollaya’, Janitha Marasinghe’s ‘Jayasri Emathithuma’, Jackson Anthony’s ‘Eka Gei Sokari’, Giriraj Kaushalya’s ‘Kathuru Mithuru’, ‘Rookada Penchi’ by Ariyawansa brothers, Prasanna Vithanage’s ‘Gardi’, Udayakantha Warnasuriya’s ‘Gindari 2’, ‘Gajaman 3D’, Iran Godamunne’s ‘The Secret of the Rose’ and others.