Government cannot implement revenue-sharing system for film industry: APSFTVTDC chairman

Andhra Pradesh State Film, Television and Theatre Development Corporation (APSFTVTDC) chairman P. Bharat Bhushan on Friday said the government was not in a position to implement a percentage-based revenue-sharing system between film producers and exhibitors.

Speaking at the AP Exhibitors’ Committee meeting in Vijayawada, Mr. Bharat Bhushan said the government’s current financial constraints also prevented it from extending financial assistance to either producers or exhibitors.

Earlier, exhibitors, producers, theatre owners and other representatives of the film industry urged the government, through Mr. Bharat Bhushan, to implement a single-window system for B-Form licences. They sought the issuance of B-Form licences through a single-window mechanism for a five-year period, in accordance with the Cinematograph Act.

Their other demands included extending fire licence renewals to five years, classifying cinema exhibition as an industry to enable theatres to avail themselves of power tariffs on a par with the hotel, services and tourism sectors, and enhancing the permissible maintenance charges for cinema halls.

They also sought maintenance of standard admission rates without steep increases or special surge pricing for newly released films.