The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Will the State film academy be a reality by Rajyotsava?

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Monday, Jul 14, 2008
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Will the State film academy be a reality by Rajyotsava?

K.N.Venkatasubba Rao

Officials told to submit a report on the proposed film academy
Earlier proposal shelved over selection of chairman

Bangalore: The long-pending proposal to start a State film academy with a range of objectives is likely to be a reality by the next Rajyotsava, according to sources in the film industry.

Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa has reportedly hinted to a delegation of the Kannada cinema industry, which met him on Thursday, that the Government would look into the proposal for establishing an academy. Although the Kannada cinema industry submitted a long list of demands, Mr. Yeddyurappa is said to have taken cognisance of only some of the demands such as enhancing the prize money for all award winning films, enforcing Goonda Act for containing audio and video piracy and enabling all original Kannada films for subsidy.

The Government has reportedly instructed the officials concerned to submit a comprehensive report on the proposed film academy, which has been a bone of contention since 1997.

On August 22, 1997, the Government issued an order for establishing a film academy as recommended by the V.N. Subba Rao Committee on Kannada cinema. The order had specified that the proposed academy would have 15 members, including due representation to women, film societies and film industry organisations. It had emphasised that the chairman of the academy should have a sound academic and professional background and conversant with the issues of the film industry.

The proposal was, however, shelved after unseemly politics that marred the selection of the chairman. Interestingly, it was the Kerala Government which utilised the “stage” set by Karnataka (the State had even issued a GO on the constitution of the academy) and established a film academy after having consultations with two Kannada filmmakers of international repute.

In 2004, the then Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition government took up the cause and considered the names of a couple of outstanding filmmakers to head the proposed academy.

The Department of Information had sought an annual grant of Rs. 35 lakh for the proposed multipurpose academy. But to its dismay, the persons of its choice refused to head the cultural body citing personal reasons.

Following the developments, vested interests, including a former president of the KFCC and a couple of academic film-makers close to the corridors of power, had taken recourse to political and academic channels to project their candidature for the coveted post of chairman.

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