Malayalam Film Industry Policy正在筹备中
The much-delayed policy for the Malayalam film industry is expected to be presented for further discussions and amendments at the State government’s film conclave later in August. As per the sources, a total of 75 meetings have been held with various stakeholders in the industry to deliberate on the policy. Currently, only 17 States have prepared film policies.
A major issue raised in the discussions is the lack of formal recognition as an industry, which has led to the absence of regulations to govern various activities in the Malayalam film industry. Following these discussions, the film policy panel outlined several thematic areas addressing concerns in specific government departments. These areas include gender issues related to casting couch, lack of proper implementation of Internal Committees in film sets, disparity in remuneration, threats against dissenting voices, long working hours, lack of women in technical departments, exploitation by agents, and substance abuse. Another thematic area relates to contractual agreements, addressing concerns such as lack of agreement due to poor regulatory oversight in the industry, discrimination in membership fees for film associations, and barriers to film education for underprivileged groups. Education-related issues will address inadequate funding for film schools, scholarships for underprivileged communities in film education, ethical marketing practices, measures to protect against cyber threats, and formulating ethical guidelines for the use of Artificial Intelligence technology in filmmaking. Issues related to piracy and hate campaigns against films will also be addressed.
A panel formed in July 2023 was tasked with preparing the policy within two months. Despite the publication of a redacted version of the K. Hema Committee report on industry issues, the delay in formulating the policy has led to criticisms. Actor Parvathy Thiruvothu had criticized the State government for the five-and-a-half-year delay in putting policies in place since the submission of the Hema committee report. According to sources, the film policy conclave is expected to have 300 participants, including experts, stakeholders, and representatives from States with existing film policies. The event is likely to take place in the first week of August.
