To offer subsidy for shooting films, upgradation of existing cinema halls in UT
By: Nasir Azam
Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir administration would set-up a Film Development Council (FDC) to achieve the objectives of film policy unveiled by it earlier this month.
The Jammu & Kashmir Film Policy-2021, talks about setting up of Jammu & Kashmir Film Development Council for implementation of the policy.
“Jammu & Kashmir Film Development Council shall be a separate vertical and act as a distinct agency to achieve the objectives of the Film Policy. JKFDC shall be the single point of contact to achieve the objectives of the Film Policy,” read the policy.
According to the policy, the J&K Film Development Council will be a high-powered committee headed by a senior officer of the rank of principal secretary to the government and shall comprise, besides other senior officers, eminent personalities of film industry and others related to the industry.
The JKFDC has been authorised to make and issue detailed guidelines, rules, checklist and all required formats and agreements etc.
It has also authorized implement guidelines for the disbursement of the subsidy /financial incentives under the film policy.
Under the policy, there shall be a simple process for grant of permissions through a single-window mechanism to the production houses for film making in Jammu and Kashmir.
According to the policy document, there shall be two separate appraisal committees for permission of locations and script screening.
While location permission committee will be headed by respective divisional commissioner, the script screening committee will be headed by an eminent person as chairman and three members from the field of film making/ script writing/ art/ culture or any relevant field related to film making and nominated by chairman Jammu and Kashmir Film Development Council for scrutinizing scripts of the prospective film makers.
The policy offers subsidy for shooting of films in J&K. It also offers additional subsidy to J&K-specific films.
“If J&K is prominently featured in a feature film with more than 75% shooting days in the UT, then the tourism sector of the UT gets direct benefit. Such a film of each category (first. second, third and subsequent film) shall be given an additional subsidy of Rs. 50.00 lakh which shall be decided by the JKFDC, on case to case basis,” read the policy.
The policy document also reveals that a special grant of 50% of the cost of production of film or Rs five crore, whichever is less, shall be provided for producing a film on the story/ script based on the UT of J&K, with a view of special branding (J&K specific film).
“If the filmmaker is giving work opportunity to the local artists of J&K, then an additional subsidy shall be provided. This additional subsidy shall be a maximum of Rs. 50 lakh for a film with cast of minimum 5 Primary local artists of J&K (who are featuring as prominent character as per the story) or 50 percent of the actual payment of artists, whichever is less. For a film with cast of a minimum of 5 secondary artists of J&K (other than the main character being shown prominently as per the story), a minimum additional subsidy of Rs. 10 lakhs or 50 percent of the actual payment of artists, whichever is less shall be provided. This subsidy amount shall be provided to the film maker on the basis of the payment bills of the performing artists,” read the document.
The policy also talks about incentivizing infrastructure for film screening. “The government of Jammu & Kashmir shall encourage and incentivise owners to reopen closed cinema halls. All the incentives to such Units shall be governed under the provisions of J&K Industrial Policy 2021,” read the document.
It also states that the Government of J&K shall encourage the owners of the cinema halls to create modern amenities by way of various incentives.
“All the incentives to such units shall be governed under the provisions of J&K Industrial Policy 2021,” the document states. (KNO)
