By Renuka Dhakal
Kathmandu, Dec. 17: The film industry which has remained closed for nearly nine months is preparing for resumption of its business.
Due to the long shutdown, people who were dependent on this sector for their living have become unemployed.
From artistes to hall operators, film distributors, technicians and others have been badly affected due to the halt in film shooting, distribution and exhibition.
Even though the government has not formally announced that the film shooting has resumed, some filmmakers have started shooting their films since Dashain.
Meanwhile, the government is preparing to give permission to film their movies soon.
It was learnt that during a meeting with Aakash Adhikari, president of the Film Producers’ Association, and actor Shiva Shrestha, Minister for Communications, Information and Technology Parbat Gurung said that a decision was taken to allow film shooting, but the government was yet to announce it publicly.
Adhiakri said that the government had already decided to allow the resumption of film shooting.
During a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and CCMC Coordinator Ishwar Pokhrel and Minister Gurung on Monday, producer Adhikari and actor Shiva Shrestha were informed that the official notice allowing film shooting would be made public in the next press meet, Adhiakri told The Rising Nepal.
He informed that the government was also preparing to take a decision to reopen film halls in a few days after holding meetings with the concerned bodies.
Producers are now awaiting permission to shoot their films. As many as 15 films are preparing to begin shooting of the held movies, he informed.
The Film Producers’ Association has also come up with a project insurance plan to facilitate the new films to be produced by the end of Asar.
The Nepal Film Development Board (FDB) under the Government of Nepal is investing up to Rs. 150,000 insurance to the films to be made by Asar, said Adhikari.
The Development Board will provide the relief of 1% under its project insurance plan to the films to be made by mid-July investing up to Rs. 15 million, added Adhikari.
The Nepal Rastra Bank has already listed the film sector in the most affected areas in its monetary policy.
The filmmakers were demanding that the government should include film sector in the worst-affected areas and provide assistance accordingly.
According to the data, about 35,000 people directly involved in the film industry and about 175,000 people depend on the film industry for their livelihood, Adhikari said.
In order to move the film industry forward and encourage the filmmakers to make films and generate employment opportunity, the filmmakers have demanded that the government should provide 20 per cent of the total budget spent for the shooting and screening of films during the COVID-19 period as grant to the film producer/s, added Adhkari.
In addition, Nepal Motion Picture Association- the trade organisation of the Nepali film industry, has also demanded that the government should waive the electricity bills of the period when the halls remained shut due to coronavirus, the entertainment tax and film development fee and the Value Added Tax (VAT) for two years among others.