FFI, SFCC extend support to T-town shutdown

 The fight between Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce and Digital Service Providers in TS and AP is turning serious as two apex trade bodies- Film Federation of India and South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce-have extended support to T-town shutdown from March 1. 

“Members of Film Federation of India and South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce will be attending the executive committee meeting on January 31 to extend their solidarity and support to our fight against digital service providers,” says an executive committee member on condition of anonymity.
  
It may be recalled that Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce has declared war against monopolistic digital service providers who are minting money at the cost of producers, distributors and exhibitors. “The hegemony of digital service providers should end or else there will be no shootings and new releases from March 1 and almost a complete shutdown of sorts. 

Majority of the 1300-odd producers and exhibitors are seeking reduction of rates charged by digital service providers, besides a legitimate share in ad revenues earned by them at the cost of producers and exhibitors. 

The former is making the film and the latter is giving space for digital projectors, but they are given nothing and hundreds of crores are going into the pocket of three or four individuals which is unfair and unethical,” rues producer Nayimuddin. 
 
Another leading exhibitor from Vizag adds, “Audience are getting irritated with cheaply-made retail ads bombarded on them by digital service providers in every show. The film buffs  are unable to walk out for a coffee even after the announcement of interval  because the projector owners don’t switch on lights until they screen all the ads and disturb their mood,”. 

On the other hand, producers are unable to air their trailers of their new releases before the beginning of the film as well as during interval break.

 “Eventually,  we are missing out on our target audience since mostly film viewers come to know about new films through trailers and return to the theatre to watch the same. It is high time that , this exploitation is curtailed for the sake of filmmakers as well as viewers,” concludes producer N Padmini.