FDC to oppose CCCA pact with producers

By Our Correspondent
It looks as if Santosh Singh Jain may quit as chief of the Central Circuit CIne Association if he cannot convince constituents of the Film Distributors Council to toe his line on the satellite rights issue. The CCCA had recently signed a pact with the producers permitting them to sell the satellite rights of their films a year after their theatrical release.
The meeting of the FDC is to be held in Delhi on August 21, and seems to be a crucial one for producers and distributors of the Northern and Eastern circuits since the Association of Motion Picture Association of Delhi, Northern India Motion Picture Assocaition of Jalandher, Eastern Indian Motion Picture Association of Calcutta and the Distributors’ Association of Assam are opposed to Santosh Singh Jain’s pact with the producers. The Central Circuit Cine Association is also a member of the FDC.

GS Mayawala of MPA, who was in Mumbai on August 12 indicated that MPA is opposed to allowing producers to sell the satellite rights a year after the theatrical release. “The producers want to have cake and eat it too. They are trying to make us rent out a house they plan to kick us out of, a year later. They forget that they built the house on the finance provided by the distributors,” he asserted, adding “the distributors have been losing money because films are flopping. How can we recover investments ranging from Rs 1.5 crore to Rs 2.5 crore so fast?”

Santosh Singh Jain said he would attend the Delhi meet and try to convince the FDC to reconsider its decision. Shakti Samanta, president of the Indian Motion Picture Producers Association, requested the MPA spokesman Mayawala, to reconsider its stand in view of the changing market conditions, when the films realise their potential at the b-o in the first few weeks of their release.

However, Mayawala did not give any indication as to what the FDC might decide. In any case, the other constituents also had a say in the matter. He is also not happy with CCCA agreeing to let producers sell their satellite rights after one year. Asked whether the FDC is thinking of making it mandatory for producers to sell their films on commission basis, he wondered whether the producers would go to the Monopoly and Restrictive Trade Practices (MRTP) Commission if the FDC imposed a ban on the sale of satellite rights after a year.

TOP

Other Stories...
UP CM offers fresh sops for filmfolk

Andhra sees spurt in small films

Inquiry report tabled in state assembly

Storm is spell-binding!

Rajasthan Film City project is revived